Understanding racial disparities in HIV using data from the veterans aging cohort 3-site study and VA administrative data.
OBJECTIVE
We identified race-associated differences in survival among HIV-positive US veterans to examine possible etiologies for these differences.


METHODS
We used national administrative data to compare survival by race and used data from the Veterans Aging Cohort 3-Site Study (VACS 3) to compare patients' health status, clinical management, and adherence to medication by race.


RESULTS
Nationally, minority veterans had higher mortality rates than did white veterans with HIV. Minority veterans had poorer health than white veterans with HIV. No significant differences were found in clinical management or adherence.


CONCLUSIONS
HIV-positive minority veterans experience poorer survival than white veterans. This difference may derive from differences in comorbidities and in the severity of illness of HIV-related disease.
McGinnis
Kathleen A
KA
Veterans Aging Cohort Study Center, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Fine
Michael J
MJ
Sharma
Ravi K
RK
Skanderson
Melissa
M
Wagner
Joseph H
JH
Rodriguez-Barradas
Maria C
MC
Rabeneck
Linda
L
Justice
Amy C
AC
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000368:Aged; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006679:HIV Seropositivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000208:ethnology*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D014728:Veterans / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data