Arthritis care & research
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Arthritis care & research · Jan 2013
Comparative StudyExcess body weight and four-year function outcomes: comparison of African Americans and whites in a prospective study of osteoarthritis.
We evaluated whether African Americans in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) have a greater risk (versus whites) of poor 4-year function outcome within strata defined by sex, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference. ⋯ Among OAI women with excess body weight, African Americans are at greater risk than whites for poor 4-year outcome. Modifiable factors that may help to explain these findings in the OAI include comorbidity, depressive symptoms, and knee pain. Targeting such factors, while supporting weight loss, may help to lessen the outcome disparity between African American and white women.