Language barriers in Hispanic patients: relation to upper-extremity disability

BackgroundAlthough upper-extremity disability has been shown to correlate highly with various psychosocial aspects of illness (e.g., self-efficacy, depression, kinesiophobia, and pain catastrophizing), the role of language in musculoskeletal health status is less certain. In an English-speaking outpatient hand surgery office setting, we sought to determine (1) whether a patient’s primary native language (English or Spanish) is an independent predictor of upper-extremity disability and (2) whether there are any differences in the contribution of measures of psychological distress to disability between native English- and Spanish-speaking patients.MethodsA total of 122 patients (61 native English speakers and 61 Spanish speakers) presenting to an orthopaedic hand clinic completed sociodemographic information and three Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-based computerized adaptive testing questionnaires: PROMIS Pain Interference, PROMIS Depression, and PROMIS Upper-Extremity Physical Function. Bivariate and multivariable linear regression modeling were performed.ResultsSpanish-speaking patients reported greater upper-extremity disability, pain interference, and symptoms of depression than English-speaking patients. After adjusting for sociodemographic covariates and measures of psychological distress using multivariable regression modeling, the patient’s primary language was not retained as an independent predictor of disability. PROMIS Depression showed a medium correlation (r = −0.35; p < 0.001) with disability in English-speaking patients, while the correlation was large (r = −0.52; p < 0.001) in Spanish-speaking patients. PROMIS Pain Interference had a large correlation with disability in both patient cohorts (Spanish-speaking: r = −0.66; p < 0.001; English-speaking: r = −0.77; p < 0.001). The length of time since immigration to the USA did not correlate with disability among Spanish speakers.ConclusionPrimary language has less influence on symptom intensity and magnitude of disability than psychological distress and ineffective coping strategies. Interventions to optimize mood and to reduce pain interference should be considered in patients of all nationalities.Type of study/level of evidence: Prognostic II.