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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2015 Jun 19.
Published in final edited form as: Am J Manag Care. 2014 Mar;20(3):239–248.

Table 2.

Prevalence of Adverse Health Outcomes Among Elderly Medicare Health Plan Members, by Race/Ethnicity, 2012 (n = 236,289)

Member Reported the Following White
n = 176,994		 Hispanic
n = 20,553		 Black
n = 22,729		 American Indian/Alaskan Native
n = 1054		 Asian
n = 8228		 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
n = 729		 Multiracial
n = 6002
Perceived Health
 Fair or poor health, %a 24.1 45.8 41.9 38.1 32.5 30.1 38.2
 Difference from whitesb — 21.7 17.9 14.0   8.4   6.0 14.1
Sickest Quartile VR-12 PCS and MCS Scores
 Sickest quartile PCS score, %a 24.1 28.4 29.7 33.7 18.6 21.3 32.5
 Difference from whitesb —   4.3   5.6   9.6 −5.5 −2.8   8.4
 Sickest quartile MCS score, %a 21.5 40.3 34.7 36.4 31.8 35.0 31.5
 Difference from whitesb — 18.8 13.2 15.0 10.3 13.5   2.5
Health Symptoms
 Chest pain symptoms in last 4 weeks, %a 22.7 39.9 37.4 37.2 34.9 40.4 38.6
 Difference from whitesb — 17.2 14.7 14.6 12.2 1 7.7 16.0
 Shortness of breath symptoms in last 4 weeks, %a 50.5 62.1 63.3 64.1 50.6 62.8 62.7
 Difference from whitesb — 11.6 12.8 13.6   0.1 12.3 12.4
 Foot symptoms in last 4 weeks, %a 40.4 60.8 59.0 55.4 52.4 58.3 59.0
 Difference from whitesb — 20.5 18.7 15.1 12.0 1 7.9 18.7
 Severe or moderate arthritis pain in last 4 weeks, %a 33.3 46.0 44.1 42.5 27.0 36.7 39.0
 Difference from whitesb — 12.7 10.8   9.1 −6.3   3.3   5.7
 Depressed mood much of time in last year, %a 11.7 27.0 20.9 22.3 15.3 22.0 22.1
 Difference from whitesb — 15.3   9.2 10.6   3.6 10.3 10.4
Sensory Limitations
 Vision problem, %a   5.6 14.5 1 1.2 1 1.2 10.5 10.9 1 1.0
 Difference from whitesb —   9.0   5.7   5.7   4.9   5.3   5.4
 Hearing problem, %a 12.9 22.2 16.2 20.1 17.0 22.1 15.6
 Difference from whitesb —   9.3   3.3   7.2   4.1   9.2   2.7
Risk Factors
 Obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2), %a 28.6 33.0 40.6 34.7   8.1 34.6 34.0
 Difference from whitesb —   4.4 12.0   6.0 −20.5     6.0   5.4
 Current smoker, %a   9.5   9.1 14.0 15.0   5.3 12.3 15.6
 Difference from whitesb — −0.4   4.5   5.5 −4.2   2.8   6.1
Functioning and Chronic Conditions
 ≥1 ADL impairment, %a 35.3 45.7 46.5 49.3 31.9   1.9 47.8
 Difference from whitesb — 10.4 1 1.2 14.0 −3.4   6.6   3.2
 >3 chronic conditions, %a 37.2 43.0 44.5 43.6 30.8 42.8 44.6
 Difference from whitesb —   5.8   7.3   6.3 −6.5   5.6   7.4

BMI indicates body mass index; VR-12 PCS and MCS, the Veterans-RAND 12-Item Short Form Survey physical and mental component summary score (0–100 scale, 0 representing worst health).

Poor physical health indicates a VR-12 PCS score in the sickest quartile of the overall PCS score distribution, or PCS ≤30.11. Poor mental health indicates a VR-12 MCS score in the sickest quartile of the overall MCS score distribution, or MCS ≤45.05. Chest pain symptoms indicates having any of 2 symptoms (chest pain when exercising or resting) in last 4 weeks versus no symptoms. Shortness-of-breath symptoms indicates having any of 4 symptoms (shortness of breath when lying flat, sitting, walking <1 block, or climbing 1 flight of stairs) in last 4 weeks versus no symptoms. Foot symptoms indicates having any of 4 symptoms (numbness in feet, tingling in feet, inability to feel hot/cold in feet, or nonhealing sores on feet) in last 4 weeks versus no symptoms. ADL impairments indicates having any of 6 activities of daily living impairments (bathing, dressing, eating, getting in/out of chairs, walking, toileting). Chronic conditions indicates having any of 14 conditions (hypertension, angina pectoris or coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, heart attack, other heart condition, stroke, respiratory conditions, inflammatory bowel disease, hip/knee arthritis, hand/wrist arthritis, osteoporosis, sciatica, diabetes, and any cancer).

a

Differences among racial/ethnic groups are statistically significant at P <.003.

b

Difference from whites is the numerical difference between the proportion among the non-white group and the proportion among the white group who report an adverse outcome. For example, 24.1% of whites and 45.8% of Hispanics reported fair or poor health; the numerical difference is 21.7 percentage points (45.8 minus 24.1). A positive difference indicates a less favorable result among the non-white group; a negative difference indicates a more favorable result among the non-white group.