Ethnicity Matters in the Assessment and Treatment of Children's Pain

Abstract

In adults, there is substantial literature focused on the role of ethnicity and race in the experience of pain.^4–16 Although there have been some contradictory findings, as a whole this literature suggests ethnic differences in perception, assessment, and treatment across settings and types of pain,¹¹ differences that persist even after controlling for potential confounding variables such as socioeconomic status, gender, age, education, marital status, and psychological variables such as emotional state.^4,7–10 Survey research suggests that Hispanic individuals may be less likely than white and black individuals to seek treatment by a physician for pain and black individuals may be more likely than white and Hispanic adults to use prescription medication for the treatment of pain.^{13 …}