title: Ethnic differences in the perception of prayer and consideration of joint arthroplasty.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ethnic differences in utilization of arthroplasty may reflect differences in health-related attitudes and beliefs.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine ethnic differences in the perception and use of prayer in the treatment of arthritis and its role in patients' decision making toward surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  VA Primary Care Clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients older than 50 years with chronic moderate-to-severe knee pain, hip pain, or both.
  
  
  METHODS
  The "helpfulness of prayer" in the treatment of arthritis and patients' attitude toward joint arthroplasty.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five hundred ninety-six veterans; 44% black patients, 56% white patients. Groups were comparable with respect to age (65 +/- 9.5 vs. 66 +/- 9), disease severity as assessed by WOMAC (47 +/- 17 vs. 45 +/- 17). Black patients scored higher than white patients on the religiosity scale (77 +/- 17 vs. 70 +/- 21). In multivariate analysis, black patients were more likely than white patients to perceive prayer as helpful in the management of their arthritis (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.19, 3.72). Black patients were also less likely than white patients to consider surgery for severe hip/knee pain (OR, 0.58; 95% CI 0.34, 0.99); this relationship between ethnicity and consideration of surgery is mediated by perceptions of "helpfulness of prayer." The odds ratio for this relationship changes to 0.70 (P = 0.215).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this sample, black patients were more likely than white patients to perceive prayer as helpful and to have actually used prayer for their arthritis. Perception of helpfulness of prayer may be an important explanatory variable in the relationship between ethnicity and patients' decision in considering arthroplasty.
authors.affiliation: Louis Stokes Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Dennis C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Ang
authors.forename: Said A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
authors.forename: Chris J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Burant
authors.forename: Laura A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Siminoff
authors.forename: C Kent
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Kwoh
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D029221:Faith Healing / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000601:surgery; D010465:Perception; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*