Asian Americans have significantly lower rates of osteoporosis screening compared to white Medicare beneficiaries, according to a new study published in Skeletal Radiology. Researchers from NYU Langone Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute found that only 15% of Asian American Medicare beneficiaries underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screening, compared to 18% of white beneficiaries.
The study, which analyzed more than 3 million Medicare fee-for-service claims from 2015 to 2020, revealed disparities in screening rates across various racial and ethnic groups. Other non-white beneficiaries also had lower screening rates, ranging from 11% to 15%.Dr. Connie Chang, a radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, emphasized the importance of increased screening for Asian Americans. “This group should really be scanned much more frequently in order to avoid osteoporosis-related fractures,” she said.
The research highlighted that factors such as being white, younger than 80, living in a micropolitan area, and having higher community income were associated with higher odds of receiving a DXA scan.
Dr. Soterios Gyftopoulos, Chief of Radiology at NYU Langone-Brooklyn, noted potential barriers to screening for non-white beneficiaries, including “lower perceived risk of adverse health events, decreased awareness of screening guidelines, and various cultural factors.”
The study’s findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address these disparities and improve osteoporosis screening rates among Asian Americans and other underrepresented groups.
See “Low DXA Screening Rates Among Asian American Medicare Beneficiaries” (April 10, 2024)
