Attributes of Non-Hispanic Blacks That Use Chiropractic Health Care: A Survey of Patients in Texas and Louisiana

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe non-Hispanic blacks that use chiropractic health care to better understand this underserved demographic. Methods: E-mail and telephone calls were used to recruit doctors of chiropractic (DCs) in Texas and Louisiana to distribute anonymous surveys to their non-Hispanic black patients. Twenty doctors volunteered to participate. Each was sent 10 surveys and self-addressed envelopes to distribute. All doctors were given at least 3 months to distribute surveys to as many non-Hispanic black patients that they had. The survey contained 20 questions designed to develop a profile of non-Hispanic black patients that used chiropractic care. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic and other patient attributes. Results: Two-hundred surveys were distributed and 44 were completed, yielding a response rate of 22%. Non-Hispanic black patients were more likely to be female (54.5%), be older than 50 years (56.8%), be a college graduate (59.1%), be employed (61.9%), report not receiving public assistance in the past 5 years (81.4%), report a household income of $20 000 to $60 000 a year (48.8%), and born in the United States (83.7%). Participants reported that there was a DC within 30 minutes of their address (81.4%), their DC always explained things to them in an easy-to-understand manner (81.8%), their DC always showed respect for what they had to say (88.6%), and their DC always cared about them as a person (86.4%). Conclusions: In the sample surveyed, non-Hispanic black patients tended to be female, be older, be college educated, be employed, and have a positive viewpoint on their interactions with their DC.

Doctor–patient relationships are a perceived barrier to chiropractic use by non-Hispanic Black Americans

“…To develop the instrument questions, a survey of the literature was performed to identify common categories of barriers to chiropractic care (Weigel et al, 2010;Graham et al, 2005;Xu and Farrell, 2006;Ward et al, 2015;Barner et al, 2010;Goldstein et al, 2005). Based on this review, the following options were provided for respondents to communicate their perceived barriers relative to each category: financial (too expensive, insurance does not cover chiropractic), physical access (no available transportation, too far from your home or job), disability (problems with communication due to hearing or speech disability), doctor/ patient relationship (lack of trust for the doctor, the doctor does not understand me, prefer to see my primary care physician, cannot find a doctor that shares my ethnic/racial background), and personal circumstances, beliefs and skepticism (too busy, no need for chiropractic care, chiropractic treatment does not work, religious or cultural beliefs, problems with communication because English is not my first language).…”