Affiliation:
1. Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Universtity of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
2. Section of General Internal Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
Abstract
Abstract
Purpose
Both undertreatment and overtreatment of hypothyroidism with thyroid hormone are associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Disparities in the treatment of hypothyroidism may lead to a higher risk of adverse outcomes for certain sociodemographic groups. Our objectives were to identify sociodemographic disparities between those with treated and untreated hypothyroidism, and between those who were adequately and inadequately treated.
Methods
This is a cross-sectional study of a representative sample of US adults aged 20 years and older with hypothyroidism (n = 698). The main measures were age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income, and health care access differences among those with treated and untreated hypothyroidism.
Results
Of those with hypothyroidism, women were more likely than men to be taking thyroid hormone (odds ratio [OR] 2.66 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.42–4.99]), as were older participants (45–69 years old vs 20–44 years old: OR 7.25 [95% CI 4.15–12.67]; 70 years of age and older: OR 11.00 [95% CI 5.30–22.79]). Health care access was strongly associated with thyroid hormone use (OR 14.32, 95% CI 3.63–56.58). Hispanic race/ethnicity was associated with inadequate treatment compared with non-Hispanic whites (OR 2.42, 95% CI: 1.14–5.14).
Main Conclusions
Male gender, younger age, and lack of health care access were associated with untreated hypothyroidism, and Hispanic race was associated with inadequate treatment of hypothyroidism. Clinicians should be aware of these sociodemographic disparities in the hypothyroid population and consider strategies to improve treatment of hypothyroidism in men, younger adults, Hispanics, and those without routine health care access.
Subject
Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Cited by
10 articles.
订阅此论文施引文献
订阅此论文施引文献,注册后可以免费订阅5篇论文的施引文献,订阅后可以查看论文全部施引文献