Racial and Ethnic Differences in Use of Assistive Devices for Mobility

PURPOSE: The authors investigated the extent to which differences in mobility device use existed by race/ethnicity and whether the effects were modified by age. METHOD: 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. CONCLUSION: Disentangling the observed patterns in mobility device use will provide direction for development of interventions to promote assistive device use.