A total of 1,250 people from Washington, DC and six states, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Rhode Island, South Dakota and West Virginia, responded to the survey.
Among the original findings, participants who identified as African American had a greater interest in health-related programs.
The researchers followed up with a second study, the results of which were published in September, to focus more closely on the responses of 178 African-American survey participants.
With this subgroup, the researchers found that the biggest worry about aging was fear of loss, which was highest among people with low incomes and those living alone.
Women aged 40 to 49 were more concerned about changes in their physical appearance than their male counterparts and participants in older age categories.
While rates of physical activity were lower compared to white respondents, African American participants generally had positive attitudes about physical activity, particularly strength training.
“One of the most important findings is that greater positivity about physical activity is associated with less anxiety about aging,” says Francis.
