Racial and ethnic differences in use of assistive devices for mobility: effect modification by age.
OBJECTIVE
The authors investigated the extent to which differences in mobility device use existed by race/ethnicity and whether the effects were modified by age.


METHODS
Using Phase II of the National Health Interview Survey on Disability, the authors identified 7,148 mobility-impaired adults. Logistic regression models provided estimates of race/ethnicity, adjusting for predictors of device use.


RESULTS
Blacks were 1.2 times as likely as non-Hispanic Whites (95% CI: 1.0-1.4) to use devices. Hispanics were 0.78 times less likely to use devices as were non-Hispanic Whites (95% CI 0.65-0.96). Differences were attenuated by age, with a 40% increased likelihood of use attributable to being Black and aged 45 to 75, a 30% increased likelihood attributable to being Hispanic and aged 65 to 75, and a 130% increased likelihood attributable to being Hispanic and older than 75.


CONCLUSIONS
Disentangling the observed patterns in mobility device use will provide direction for development of interventions to promote assistive device use.
Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Brown University, 2 Stimson Ave., Providence, RI 02912, USA.
Linda
L
Resnik
Susan
S
Allen
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D044383:Black People; D051341:Dependent Ambulation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D012656:Self-Help Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American