Language Use and Generation Status are Associated with Chronic Pain Differences in Mexican Americans.

Little is known about the pain experience of the Mexican American (MA) population. We investigated the associations between language use and generation status with chronic pain prevalence, health insurance coverage, and analgesic medication use. We examined 3373 MA respondents from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

The Unique and Interactive Effects of Patient Race, Patient Socioeconomic Status, and Provider Attitudes on Chronic Pain Care Decisions.

Background: Compared to White and high socioeconomic status (SES) patients, Black and low SES patients receive less adequate pain care. Providers may contribute to these disparities by making biased decisions that are driven, in part, by their attitudes about race and SES.

Purpose: We examined the effects of patient race and SES on providers' chronic pain decisions and the extent to which providers' implicit and explicit attitudes about race and SES were related to these decisions.

Intergroup anxiety in pain care: impact on treatment recommendations made by white providers for black patients.

Race disparities in pain care are well-documented. Given that most black patients are treated by white providers, patient-provider racial discordance is one hypothesized contributor to these disparities. Research and theory suggest that providers' trait-level intergroup anxiety impacts their state-level comfort while treating patients, which, in turn, impacts their pain treatment decisions.

A randomized controlled trial testing a virtual perspective-taking intervention to reduce race and socioeconomic status disparities in pain care.

We conducted a randomized controlled trial of an individually tailored, virtual perspective-taking intervention to reduce race and socioeconomic status (SES) disparities in providers' pain treatment decisions. Physician residents and fellows (n = 436) were recruited from across the United States for this two-part online study. Providers first completed a bias assessment task in which they made treatment decisions for virtual patients with chronic pain who varied by race (black/white) and SES (low/high).

Associations between immigrant status and pharmacological treatments for diabetes in U.S. adults.

Objectives: Although treatment disparities in diabetes have been documented along racial/ethnic lines, it is unclear if immigrant groups in the United States experience similar treatment disparities. Our objective was to determine whether immigrant status is associated with differences in pharmacological treatment of diabetes in a nationally representative sample of adults with diabetes. We were specifically interested in differences in treatment with oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA) and insulin.

A comparison of race-related pain stereotypes held by White and Black individuals.

Pain judgments are the basis for pain management. The purpose of this study was to assess Black and White participants' race-related pain stereotypes. Undergraduates (=551) rated the pain sensitivity and willingness to report pain for the typical Black person, White person, and themselves.

The Pain Experience of Hispanic Americans: A Critical Literature Review and Conceptual Model.

Unlabelled: Although the Hispanic population is a burgeoning ethnic group in the United States, little is known about their pain-related experience. To address this gap, we critically reviewed the existing literature on pain experience and management among Hispanic Americans (HAs). We focused our review on the literature on nonmalignant pain, pain behaviors, and pain treatment seeking among HAs.

Differences in Mexican Americans' Prevalence of Chronic Pain and Co-Occurring Analgesic Medication and Substance Use Relative to Non-Hispanic White and Black Americans: Results from NHANES 1999-2004.

Objective: Little is known about the burgeoning Mexican American (MA) population's pain experience.

Methods: Using 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data, prevalence of chronic pain, analgesic medication use, and substance use were examined among MA, non-Hispanic White (NHW), and non-Hispanic Black (NHB) respondents. Logistic and linear regression models examined racial/ethnic differences in: 1) chronic pain prevalence among all respondents, 2) location and number of pain sites among respondents with chronic pain, and 3) analgesic medication and substance use among respondents with chronic pain.

Examining influential factors in providers' chronic pain treatment decisions: a comparison of physicians and medical students.

Background: Chronic pain treatment guidelines are unclear and conflicting, which contributes to inconsistent pain care. In order to improve pain care, it is important to understand the various factors that providers rely on to make treatment decisions. The purpose of this study was to examine factors that reportedly influence providers' chronic pain treatment decisions.

The interaction of patient race, provider bias, and clinical ambiguity on pain management decisions.

Unlabelled: Although racial disparities in pain care are widely reported, much remains to be known about the role of provider and contextual factors. We used computer-simulated patients to examine the influence of patient race, provider racial bias, and clinical ambiguity on pain decisions. One hundred twenty-nine medical residents/fellows made assessment (pain intensity) and treatment (opioid and nonopioid analgesics) decisions for 12 virtual patients with acute pain.

Impact of race and sex on pain management by medical trainees: a mixed methods pilot study of decision making and awareness of influence.

Objective: Previous research suggests female and black patients receive less optimal treatment for their chronic pain compared with male and white patients. Provider-related factors are hypothesized to contribute to unequal treatment, but these factors have not been examined extensively. This mixed methods investigation examined the influence of patients' demographic characteristics on providers' treatment decisions and providers' awareness of these influences on their treatment decisions.

The influence of patient sex, provider sex, and sexist attitudes on pain treatment decisions.

Unlabelled: Research suggests that patient sex, provider sex, and providers' sexist attitudes interact to influence pain care; however, few empirical studies have examined these influences. We investigated sex (patient and provider) differences in pain treatment and the extent to which providers' sexist attitudes were associated with these differences. Ninety-eight health care providers (52% female) completed the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory and made treatment ratings for 16 computer-simulated patients with low back pain.

Preferences, experience, and attitudes in the management of chronic pain and depression: a comparison of physicians and medical students.

Objectives: The current study investigated clinicians' treatment preferences for chronic pain and depression and the extent to which these preferences were related to clinicians' experience and attitudes.

Methods: Eighty-five participants (50 physicians, 35 medical students) made treatment recommendations for 8 virtual patients with chronic low back pain and depression. The 10 treatment options included pharmacological and nonpharmacological approaches.