Race and sex differences in willingness to undergo total joint replacement: the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project.
OBJECTIVE
Using data from the community-based Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project, we examined race and sex variations in willingness to undergo, and perceptions regarding, total joint replacement (TJR).


METHODS
Analyses were conducted for the total sample who participated in a followup measurement period from 2006-2010 (n = 1,522) and a subsample with symptomatic hip and/or knee osteoarthritis (sOA; n = 445). Participants indicated how willing they would be to have TJR (hip or knee) if their doctor recommended it; responses were categorized as "definitely" or "probably" willing versus "unsure," "probably not," or "definitely not" willing, or "don't know." Participants answered 7 questions regarding perceptions of TJR outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression models of willingness included participant characteristics (including socioeconomic status) and TJR perception variables that were associated with willingness at the P < 0.1 level in bivariate analyses.


RESULTS
African Americans had lower odds of willingness to undergo TJR than whites in the total sample (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.47 [95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.31-0.72]) and the sOA subsample (adjusted OR 0.42 [95% CI 0.25-0.69]). There were no sex differences in willingness. African Americans expected poorer TJR outcomes than whites, but sex differences were minimal; perceptions of TJR outcomes were not significantly associated with willingness.


CONCLUSIONS
In this community sample, race differences in TJR willingness and perceptions were substantial, but sex differences were small. Perceptions of TJR did not appear to affect willingness or explain race differences in willingness.
Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina.
Kelli D
KD
Allen
Yvonne M
YM
Golightly
Leigh F
LF
Callahan
Charles G
CG
Helmick
Said A
SA
Ibrahim
C Kent
CK
Kwoh
Jordan B
JB
Renner
Joanne M
JM
Jordan
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D019643:Arthroplasty, Replacement / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000601:surgery*; D010465:Perception; D012737:Sex Factors; D044465:White People