Exploring social determinants of health in healthy aging among older adults: a qualitative study

**Publsihed in Progress in Community Health Partnerships (PCHP) 171. All rights reserved.** ABSTRACT Background: The US population is aging and diversifying. Older Black Americans comprise the largest racial minority group and experience greater disability than White Americans. Objectives: Within a long-standing, community-based research partnership, we explored the determinants of healthy aging in Flint Michigan, a low-income, predominantly Black American community recovering from a water crisis. Methods: Focus groups were conducted among older adults residing in Flint, MI. A grounded theory approach and constant comparison method was utilized for data analysis. Results: Five focus groups were conducted with 49 total participants. We identified 4 themes that impacted healthy aging: economic instability, healthcare access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context. Economic instability heavily influenced the other themes. Conclusions: Economic instability is a barrier to healthy aging. As a result, we are testing an innovative cross-sector partnership combining older adult affordable housing and healthcare.