Social determinants of health and disparate disability accumulation in a cohort of Black, Hispanic, and White patients with multiple sclerosis

Background: Black and Hispanic patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) have been shown to accumulate greater multiple sclerosis-associated disability (MSAD) than White patients. Disparities in social determinants of health (SDOH) among these groups have also been reported. Objective: To determine the extent to which associations of race and ethnicity with MSAD may be attributable to differences in SDOH. Methods: Retrospective chart analysis of patients at an academic MS center grouped by self-identified Black (n = 95), Hispanic (n = 93), and White (n = 98) race/ethnicity. Individual patient addresses were geocoded and matched with neighborhood-level area deprivation index (ADI) and social vulnerability index (SVI). Results: Average Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores at last-recorded evaluations of White patients (1.7 & PLUSMN; 2.0) were significantly lower than Black (2.8 & PLUSMN; 2.4, p = 0.001) and Hispanic (2.6 & PLUSMN; 2.6, p = 0.020) patients. Neither Black race nor Hispanic ethnicity was significantly associated with EDSS in multivariable linear regression models that included individual-level SDOH indicators and either ADI or SVI. Conclusion: Black race and Hispanic ethnicity are not significantly associated with EDSS in models that include individual and neighborhood-level SDOH indicators. Further research should elucidate mechanisms by which structural inequities affect MS disease course.