Ethnicity in pressure ulcer risk assessment, with specific relation to the Pakistani ethnic minority in Burton, England

BACKGROUND: There has been little work on ethnicity related to pressure ulcers in general and little or nothing specific to South Asians, and the Pakistani ethnic group in particular. AIM: To explore the relevance of ethnicity in pressure ulcers. METHODS: All admissions over a 5-year period to a District General Hospital in Burton, United Kingdom (UK) were considered where data were present on Waterlow Score, ethnicity and pressure sore status. Logistic regression analysis was conducted using ethnicity and other variables to predict ulcer formation. RESULTS; Age is predictive, but ethnicity was not found to be a significant predictor. CONCLUSION: There is no evidence that members of the Pakistani ethnic minority are at higher risk than the majority White population in Burton, with respect to pressure ulcers.