Examining patient race and area predictors of inpatient admission for schizophrenia among hospital users in California.

According to international research African-Caribbean and Black African populations have increased risk of hospitalization for schizophrenia, compared to Whites. Less is known about admission risk for other racial-ethnic groups. This study investigated racial-ethnic differences in hospital admission for schizophrenia in California. It also investigated the influence of area social factors (racial-ethnic neighborhood composition, and per capita income) and health service factors (presence of primary care clinics). The study sample included individuals admitted to a California hospital during 1990-2005 with a primary appendicitis related diagnosis, and without a prior or concurrent indication of schizophrenia. The adjusted logistic model examined how patient racial-ethnicity (White, Black, Hispanic, Other), other personal, area social characteristics and presence of primary care clinics influenced hospital admissions for schizophrenia. Black individuals were almost twice as likely as Whites to be admitted while Hispanics and Other race individuals were less to be admitted. In addition, male sex, having more comorbidities and living in areas with greater proportions of non-Whites increased risk. The increased risk for Blacks compared to Whites was consistent with the existing literature. However, this is among the first studies to report that Hispanics had a reduced risk of admission for schizophrenia, compared to Whites. Future studies may want to include a broader range of health services to better understand patterns of care use among individuals with schizophrenia.