Racial disparities in the impact of chronic pruritus: A cross-sectional study on quality of life and resource utilization in United States veterans

JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY

卷:77

Article

Shaw, Fiona M.^1,2  Luk, Kevin Man Hin²  Chen, Kuang-Ho²  Wrenn, Glenda^3,4  Chen, Suephy C.^2,5 

[1] Greenwich Hosp, Yale New Haven Hlth, Dept Internal Med, Greenwich, CT USA

[2] Emory Univ, Sch Med, Dept Dermatol, 1525 Clifton Rd,1st Fl, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA

[3] Morehouse Sch Med, Dept Psychiat & Behav Sci, Atlanta, GA 30310 USA

[4] Womens Ctr Excellence Specialty Care Educ, Decatur, GA USA

[5] Atlanta Vet Adm Med Ctr, Div Dermatol, Decatur, GA USA

关键词: African American;    chronic pruritus;    pruritus;    quality of life;    racial disparity;    resource utilization;    veterans;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.jaad.2017.01.016

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Background: Chronic pruritus has a lifetime prevalence of up to 26% in the worldwide population. Research has shown that the incidence and quality of life (QoL) impact of chronic pruritus varies by race. Objective: We sought to explore the effects of race on specific pruritus-related QoL factors and resource utilization. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional, national telephone survey of 6000 US veterans randomly sampled from the Veterans Hospital Patient Database. We administered surveys to assess QoL impact and resource utilization of chronic pruritus. Results: Nonwhites overall reported higher levels of burning and scarring with their pruritus. African Americans had a significantly greater emotional impact and use of special soaps, lotions, and clothes. African Americans were also more likely to visit their primary care provider for pruritus (P = .03), yet had similar numbers of specialty care visits. Limitations: Because our sample was drawn from a veteran population, generalizability may be limited. Conclusion: The data indicate a racial disparity in specific QoL impact and resource utilization from pruritus. These findings merit further exploration into explanations, such as access, communication, trust of the medical system, and biologic differences.

【 授权许可】

Free