Racial/Ethnic and Gender Disparities in Health Outcomes of Persons with Spinal Cord Injury
About the Webcast
A recent report by the Institute of Medicine reviewed and summarized
the literature pertaining to racial disparities in health care
by concluding that there is clear and convincing evidence that
racial and ethnic disparities are consistent across a wide range
of outcomes and services. This difference becomes even
more critical when examining outcomes of persons with disabilities,
especially persons with spinal cord injury (SCI). As the
SCI population is predominantly composed of young white males,
women and minorities have been traditionally underrepresented
in SCI research. It is important to investigate outcomes
among racial/ethnic minorities and women as there may be a different
pattern of behaviors, community integration, and subjective outcomes
after SCI.
This webcast will focus on the results of several NIDRR-funded
projects, two of which oversampled women and racial/ethnic minorities. Both
studies were collaborative in nature and involved data collection
sites across the United States (Georgia, Colorado, and California). The
first study was conducted in 1997 and 1998 and had 512 participants. Forty
percent of the sample was female (about twice that found in the
SCI population). The racial/ethnic breakdown was as follows: 25%
Caucasian, 24% African-American, 21% American Indian, 24% Hispanic,
and 7% Asian. In the second study, which was a six year follow-up
to the first study, there were a total of 250 participants. Additional
data are drawn from a health study of just under 1400 participants
with SCI and a 30 year longitudinal study. The variables
of interest include community reintegration, depression, life satisfaction,
pressure ulcers, general and SCI-specific healthcare, and social
support. Major findings will be highlighted and discussed
from the standpoint of their interpretation, clinical implications,
and needs for further research.
This webcast is supported through the National Center for the Dissemination
of Disability Research (NCDDR), which is funded by the National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) in the U.S.
Department of Education, and is supported in part by ILRU.
The opinions and views expressed are those of the presenters and no endorsement
by the funding agency should be inferred.
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