Racial/ethnic disparities in mortality risk among US veterans with traumatic brain injury

Objectives: We examined the association of race/ethnicity with mortality risk in a national cohort of US veterans clinically diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. Methods. Between January 1, 2006 and December 31, 2006, we obtained data from a national cohort study of 7885 non-Hispanic White, 1748 Non-Hispanic Black, 314 Hispanic, and 4743 other or missing race/ethnicity veterans clinically diagnosed with traumatic brain injury in Veterans Affairs medical centers and community-based outpatient clinics. Results. Overall mortality at 48 months was 6.7% in Hispanic, 2.9% in non- Hispanic White, and 2.7% in non-Hispanic Black veterans. Compared with non- Hispanic White, Hispanic ethnicity was positively associated with a higher mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR]=2.33; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.49, 3.64) in the race/ethnicity-only adjusted model. After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and comorbidities, Hispanic ethnicity continued to be positively associated (HR=1.61; 95% CI=1.00, 2.58) with a higher mortality risk relative to non-Hispanic White ethnicity. Conclusions. Hispanic ethnicity is positively associated with higher mortality risk among veterans clinically diagnosed with traumatic brain injury. More research is needed to understand the reasons for this disparity.