More than 19 percent of Hispanics and 23 percent of black Americans age 65 and older lived in poverty in the United States in 2006, according to a study by the AARP Public Policy Institute released today.

Older women are not far behind. Nearly 12 percent of women age 65 and up lived in poverty in that year.

The study, conducted for the AARP Foundation, found that little or no retirement income, unemployment, disability and poor health were the major causes of older adults living in poverty. But, according to the report, the findings could be worse: If not for Social Security, the poverty rate for those 65 and older would have skyrocketed from 9 percent to 45 percent in 2006.

AARP released its report at a poverty and aging symposium at which former Sen. John Edwards, chair of the Half in Ten antipoverty campaign, and a panel of experts discussed the needs of poor older adults and how to improve their plight. The Half in Ten campaign was formed in May to cut poverty in half within a decade.

Other highlights of the report include:

•  Women head up nearly seven of 10 older families living below the poverty level.

•  About 25 percent of people age 50 to 64 who live in poverty work; nearly 63 percent have health insurance, including Medicaid.

•  The median net worth of people 50 and older living in poverty is $10,000.

•  Nearly 25 percent of people 50 and older living in poverty did not see a physician within the last 12 months because of the cost of a doctor’s visit.

•  Social Security Disability Insurance helps only about one in 10 people age 50 and up who say a disability has hampered their efforts to work.