A new study has found that Black, Hispanic, and American Indian/Alaska Native adults in the U.S. are more likely to have severe joint pain from arthritis compared to white adults. The research, led by Erica L. Odom from the CDC, also discovered that less than 60% of patients from any racial or ethnic group were advised by their doctors to exercise to help with their arthritis.
The study looked at health and socioeconomic information from 31,977 adults in a 2019 national survey. After considering age differences, American Indian/Alaska Native adults had the highest percentage of arthritis at 30.3%, which was much higher than the 22.9% rate among white adults. They also reported the most severe joint pain at 39.1%, followed by Black adults at 36.4% and Hispanic adults at 35.7% – all significantly higher than the 22.5% rate for white adults.
“Doctors often underestimate how much influence they have on their patients,” said Odom. “They can do more to encourage physical activity among patients to help manage arthritis symptoms and improve overall health.”
The findings show that there is a need for targeted efforts and better doctor advice to address the differences in arthritis pain and management among minority groups. More research is needed to understand the reasons behind these differences and to develop effective ways to improve arthritis care for all patients, regardless of their race or ethnicity.
“Severe joint pain more prevalent in Black, Hispanic, Indigenous patients vs white patients” by Justin Cooper on the Healio website (April 1, 2024)
