Affiliations: College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
Correspondence:
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Address for correspondence: James S. Krause, PhD, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health Professions, Medical University of South Carolina, 77 President St, Suite 117, PO Box 250700, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. Tel.: +1 843 792 1337; Fax: +1 843 792 5649; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: Objective:To compare the prevalence of pressure ulcer (PU) and barriers to treatment in the event of PU development as a function of race-ethnicity in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods:Interview data were collected from three rehabilitation hospitals each of which was designated as a model SCI system of care by the United States Department of Education. There were 475 participants with similar portions of each racial-ethnic group (African-American n = 121, American-Indian n = 105, Caucasians n = 127, Hispanics n = 122). Results:The lowest prevalence rates for pressure ulcers were reported by Hispanics followed by Caucasians. Logistic regression revealed racial-ethnic differences in the odds of developing a PU within the past 12 months. Social support and injury severity were also associated with risk of PU while age, gender, years since injury, and education were not. Significant racial-ethnic differences were also observed in 5 of 9 barriers to the treatment of PUs. Conclusion:Results suggest that variability in social support and barriers to treatment may contribute to the racial-ethnic differences in prevalence rates for PU that were observed. Future research in this area could lead to the development of strategies to enhance prevention and treatment targeted at the elimination of any racial-ethnic disparities.
Keywords: Spinal cord injury, disparities, pressure ulcers, health, quality of life
