Lee Hochang B, Hening Wayne A, Allen Richard P, Earley Christopher J, Eaton William W, Lyketsos Constantine G
Division of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 550 North Broadway, Suite 308, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Sleep Med. 2006 Dec;7(8):642-5. doi: 10.1016/j.sleep.2006.03.015. Epub 2006 Oct 4.
BACKGROUND & PURPOSE: Due to the relative absence of African-Americans seeking treatment for restless legs syndrome (RLS) in specialty clinics, a lower prevalence of RLS among African-Americans than Caucasians has been suggested. We compared the prevalence of RLS in African-Americans and Caucasians in a biracial community sample as part of Wave IV of the Baltimore Health and Mental Health Study.
Subjects included 1071 adults [358 African-Americans (35.0%), and 633 Caucasians (61.8%), and 33 others]. Diagnosis of RLS was based on endorsement of RLS symptoms on a seven-item RLS questionnaire during a household interview. Adjusted odds and 95% confidence intervals were calculated based on logistic regression models with diagnosis of RLS as the main outcome variables and African-American race as the main predictor while adjusting for other relevant sociodemographic and/or health-related variables.
The prevalence of RLS in this population was 4.1%. The rates were similar for African-Americans (4.7%) and Caucasians (3.8%). After adjustment for age, gender, medical comorbidities, and socioeconomic status, no difference in the prevalence of RLS was found between African-Americans and Caucasians.
RLS is comparably prevalent among African-American and Caucasian adults in the general population. Barriers affecting access to care settings for African-American RLS patients should be investigated in the future.
由于在专科诊所中寻求治疗不宁腿综合征（RLS）的非裔美国人相对较少，有人提出非裔美国人中RLS的患病率低于白种人。作为巴尔的摩健康与心理健康研究第四波的一部分，我们比较了一个混血社区样本中非裔美国人和白种人中RLS的患病率。
研究对象包括1071名成年人[358名非裔美国人（35.0%）、633名白种人（61.8%）以及33名其他种族的人]。RLS的诊断基于在家庭访谈中一份七项RLS问卷上对RLS症状的认可。基于逻辑回归模型计算调整后的比值比和95%置信区间，以RLS诊断作为主要结局变量，非裔美国人种族作为主要预测因素，同时对其他相关的社会人口统计学和/或健康相关变量进行调整。
该人群中RLS的患病率为4.1%。非裔美国人（4.7%）和白种人（3.8%）的患病率相似。在对年龄、性别、合并症和社会经济地位进行调整后，未发现非裔美国人和白种人之间RLS患病率存在差异。
在普通人群中，非裔美国人和白种成年人中RLS的患病率相当。未来应调查影响非裔美国RLS患者获得医疗服务的障碍。
