Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
School of Social Work, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI, USA.
Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2022 Aug;17(6):703-711. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2020.1814430. Epub 2020 Sep 10.
Assistive technologies (AT) can compensate for activity limitations and loss of physical functioning. Little is known regarding how minority older adults differ in AT use as they age. This study examined race and ethnic differences in AT use among a nationally representative sample of older adults in the United States.
Weighted logistic regression analyses were conducted using the 2012 Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), collected annually by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study sample included 282,825 non-Hispanic White, African American, Asian and non-White Hispanic older adults. Activity limitation, health care access, overall health status and sociodemographic characteristics were included as variables in the analysis. Interaction analyses were conducted to examine the moderating effect of race/ethnicity on social determinants with AT use.
Results indicated that 13.5% of older adults reported the use of an AT. African American older adults had the highest percentage of AT use (21.0%), and Asian older adults had the lowest (5.1%). Those who were 85years and older, reported an activity limitation, were unmarried and in poor health were most likely to use an AT. Having health insurance was significantly associated with higher AT use for non-Hispanic Whites ( = 1.66, <0.001) and non-White Hispanics ( = 1.98, <0.01), but not African Americans and Asians.
Health professionals can promote access and address barriers in AT use, particularly in regard to accessibility and acceptability among minority older adults.Implications for rehabilitationAfrican-Americans older adults were most likely to use ATs, and Asian older adults the leastOlder adults who were 85 years and older, reported an activity limitation, were unmarried and in poor health were most likely to use an ATDifferent social determinants to AT use were found among race/ethnic groups, highlighting the need to promote access and address barriers to health care utilization.
辅助技术（AT）可以弥补活动受限和身体功能丧失。对于少数族裔老年人随着年龄增长在 AT 使用方面的差异知之甚少。本研究通过美国全国代表性老年人样本，调查了种族和民族在 AT 使用方面的差异。
使用疾病预防控制中心（CDC）每年收集的 2012 年行为风险因素监测系统（BRFSS）进行加权逻辑回归分析。研究样本包括 282825 名非西班牙裔白种人、非裔美国人、亚裔和非白西班牙裔老年人。活动受限、获得医疗保健的机会、总体健康状况和社会人口学特征被纳入分析变量。进行交互分析以检验种族/民族对 AT 使用的社会决定因素的调节作用。
结果表明，13.5%的老年人报告使用了 AT。非裔美国人老年人使用 AT 的比例最高（21.0%），而亚裔老年人的比例最低（5.1%）。85 岁及以上、报告活动受限、未婚和健康状况不佳的老年人最有可能使用 AT。有医疗保险与非西班牙裔白人（ = 1.66，<0.001）和非白西班牙裔（ = 1.98，<0.01）的 AT 使用显著相关，但与非裔美国人和亚裔无关。
卫生专业人员可以促进 AT 的获取并解决使用障碍，特别是在少数族裔老年人中提高可及性和可接受性。
非裔美国老年人最有可能使用 AT，而亚裔老年人则最少。85 岁及以上、报告活动受限、未婚和健康状况不佳的老年人最有可能使用 AT。在不同种族/民族群体中发现了 AT 使用的不同社会决定因素，这突显了促进获取和解决医疗保健利用障碍的必要性。
