The association of optimism and perceived discrimination with health care utilization in adults with sickle cell disease.

Objective: We evaluated the effect of perceived discrimination, optimism, and their interaction on health care utilization among African American adults with sickle cell disease (SCD).

Methods: Measures of optimism and perceived discrimination were obtained in 49 African American SCD patients. Multiple regression analyses controlling for sex and age tested effects of optimism and perceived discrimination on the number of emergency department visits (ED) and number and duration of hospitalizations over the past year.