How feelings about being Black influence health care use for people with sickle cell disease

What is it about?

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a painful condition that primarily affects Blacks. We found that Black patients who reported that being Black was a central part of their identity had less SCD pain and fewer hospitalizations for SCD pain than Black patients who reported that being Black was less central.

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Why is it important?

It is not clear whether racial centrality is "good" or "bad" for Black people with SCD. Our study might show that Blacks with higher racial centrality are able to stay healthier. In contrast, our results might show that Blacks with higher racial centrality may be less likely to use health care services. We need to conduct more studies to determine which of these scenarios is most accurate.

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