Beyond Race and Gender: Measuring Behavioral and Social Indicators of Pain Treatment Satisfaction in Older Black and White Cancer Patients

There are a number of factors that influence compliance with prescribed plans of care. However, there remains a need to identify the collective source health, behavioral, and social constructs have on treatment satisfaction. This study aimed to identify indicators of pain treatment satisfaction among older adults receiving outpatient treatment from a comprehensive cancer center in the southeast region of the United States. Data included a sample of 149 Black and White patients diagnosed with cancer, with the majority being White (85%) and female (57%). Patients were surveyed on questions assessing pain treatment satisfaction, pain severity, and additional social characteristics. A series of multivariate models were specified, whereby patients reporting multiple chronic conditions, poor communication, and perceived discrimination were less satisfied with treatment. Positive communication, higher self-efficacy, and fewer perceived discriminatory acts were significant among the female patients only. These findings suggest the need to develop clinical models that assess how these factors influence the degree of treatment satisfaction, while providing a comprehensive mechanism by which to service the long-term needs of older adults.