Black adults have 10% lower access to living donor kidney transplants compared to white candidates, according to a new study highlighting how residential and transplant center segregation contributes to racial disparities in healthcare.
The research, conducted by Yiting Li and colleagues at New York University Grossman School of Medicine, analyzed data from 162,587 adult Black and white first-time living kidney transplant candidates between 1995 and 2021. The study found that candidates from neighborhoods with 30% or fewer white residents had 17% lower access to transplants.
“Live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) remains the preferred method of kidney replacement therapy,” Li wrote. However, segregation impacts access because potential donors often come from the same neighborhoods or social networks as candidates.
The study revealed that both Black and white adults listed at transplant centers in highly segregated areas faced reduced access to LDKT compared to those in less segregated areas. Black adults living in or listed at centers in predominantly underserved neighborhoods were 65% less likely to receive LDKT relative to white candidates in predominantly white neighborhoods.
Researchers emphasized the significant role of racial and ethnic segregation in both residential and transplant center neighborhoods. They called for continued research and collaborative efforts to identify specific social and environmental barriers that reinforce structural racism and influence access to living donor kidney transplants.
The findings underscore the persistent racial disparities in healthcare access and outcomes, particularly in organ transplantation, and highlight the need for targeted interventions to address these inequities.
See “Segregated residential and transplant center neighborhoods contribute to disparities” (February 19, 2024)
