A new study says Black patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) demonstrated more difficulty in walking compared to white counterparts with MS — and those increased difficulties were unrelated to social determinants of health (SDOH).
The research — Walking and physical performance in black and white adults with multiple sclerosis controlling for social determinants of health — was published in January 2024 by Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. Multiple Sclerosis News Today announced the study in a Feb. 27 news release.
Study included participants with and without MS
In the abstract, researchers said, “There is evidence for reduced walking and physical performance in persons with multiple sclerosis compared with healthy controls (HCs). There is further evidence suggesting increased overall mobility disability in Black persons with MS compared with White counterparts, yet little is known about the interplay of social determinants of health when considering differences in walking and physical performance.”
The study included 208 people with MS — 141 white and 67 Black — plus a group of 95 health control (HC) participants, Black and white, who did not have MS. “Walking and physical function were measured using a timed 25-foot walk, six-minute walk, timed-up-and-go, and short physical performance battery,” the study said.
Researchers compared participants’ performance results, examining the results of the healthy control group vs. participants diagnosed with MS, and examining the results of Black vs. white participants. Researchers controlled for participants’ age, sex, marital status, and SDOH.
Differences outside SDOH considerations
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) defines SDOH as “the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.” HHS grouped SDOH into the five domains of economic stability; education access and quality; health care access and quality; neighborhood and built environment; and social and community context.
“The main effects of MS status and race remained statistically significant, controlling for SDOH and covariates,” researchers said. “The main effects indicated significant lower [timed walking] performance for MS than HCs, and lower [timed-up-and-go and short physical performance battery] performance in Black than white samples.”
Researchers concluded “that MS status and race independently influence walking and physical performance even after accounting for SDOH, and Black persons with MS have compromised walking and physical performance, perhaps necessitating focal rehabilitation.”
