The Influence of Race, Sex, and Social Disadvantage on Self-reported Health in Patients Presenting With Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain. Academic Article uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to better address sociodemographic-related health disparities. This study examined which sociodemographic variables most strongly correlate with self-reported health in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. DESIGN: This single-center, cross-sectional study examined adult patients, followed by a physiatrist for chronic (≥4 yrs) musculoskeletal pain. Sociodemographic variables considered were race, sex, and disparate social disadvantage (measured as residential address in the worst vs. best Area Deprivation Index national quartile). The primary comparison was the adjusted effect size of each variable on physical and behavioral health (measured by Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System [PROMIS]). RESULTS: In 1193 patients (age = 56.3 ± 13.0 yrs), disparate social disadvantage was associated with worse health in all domains assessed (PROMIS Physical Function Β = -2.4 points [95% confidence interval = -3.8 to -1.0], Pain Interference = 3.3 [2.0 to 4.6], Anxiety = 4.0 [1.8 to 6.2], and Depression = 3.7 [1.7 to 5.6]). Black race was associated with greater anxiety than white race (3.2 [1.1 to 5.3]), and female sex was associated with worse physical function than male sex (-2.5 [-3.5 to -1.5]). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with race and sex, social disadvantage is more consistently associated with worse physical and behavioral health in patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Investment to ameliorate disadvantage in geographically defined communities may improve health in sociodemographically at-risk populations.

publication date

  • March 1, 2022

Research

keywords

  • Healthcare Disparities
  • Musculoskeletal Pain
  • Patient Reported Outcome Measures
  • Sociodemographic Factors

Identity

PubMed Central ID

  • PMC8558108

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 85124850735

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001774

PubMed ID

  • 33935150

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 101

issue

  • 3