Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of pain and disability among adults in general, but African Americans experience a disproportionate burden, including greater prevalence and more severe symptoms and functional limitations. Emerging data suggest that pain Coping Skills Training (CST) programs may help to reduce racial disparities in OA symptom severity. A new study, led by Dr. Kelli Allen and her research team at the Thurston Arthritis Research Center, will evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally enhanced pain CST program among African Americans with OA.
This three-year project is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and involves collaborations with investigators at Duke University Medical Center, the Durham VA Medical Center, and East Carolina University. The study will involve 248 African Americans with symptomatic hip or knee OA. Half of the study participants will be patients within the UNC healthcare system and half will be patients at the Durham VA Medical Center. This randomized controlled trial will test a 12-session, telephone-based pain CST program that is based on previous studies but enhanced through input from African Americans with OA and other stakeholders involved in the study.