• Riddhi P Doshi, Jun Yan, and Robert H Aseltine.
• Center for Population Health, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
• Public Health Rep. 2020 Jan 1; 135 (1): 56-65.

ObjectivePreventable hospitalizations for heart failure result in a large proportion of hospitalizations. The primary objective of this study was to describe longitudinal trends in the association of race/ethnicity with preventable hospitalizations for heart failure in Connecticut and differences in disparities by age.MethodsWe analyzed data on hospitalizations in all civilian acute-care hospitals in Connecticut during a 7-year period, 2009 through 2015. We used raking methodology to weight the nonhospitalized population to create a reference population representative of the state's general population. Multivariate regression models examined racial/ethnic disparities among adults aged 35-64, controlling for age, sex, and type of health insurance. For adults aged ≥65, regression models controlled for age and sex.ResultsAfter controlling for age and sex, the non-Hispanic black to non-Hispanic white odds ratio for preventable hospitalizations for heart failure ranged from 5.2-6.4 during the study period among adults aged 35-64. Among adults aged ≥65, non-Hispanic black adults had significantly higher odds (range, 1.2-1.8) of preventable hospitalizations than non-Hispanic white adults. Rates among Hispanic adults were significantly higher than rates among non-Hispanic adults after controlling for age and sex among adults aged ≥65 in 2014 and 2015.ConclusionsThis research provides information for clinical and population-based interventions targeting racial/ethnic gaps in heart failure hospitalizations. Demonstrating the persistent black-white disparity and age differences in racial/ethnic disparities, this study emphasizes the need for focused prevention among vulnerable populations. Raking methodology is an innovative approach to eliminating selection bias in hospital discharge data.

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