Kendal Nakaoka,1 Carson Konop,1 Jennifer McQueeny,1 Andrew Mettias,1 Matthew Kao,1,2 Janette Bow-Keola,1,2 Tyrone Sumibcay,1,2 Kore Kai Liow,1,2 Darren DuGas,1 Enrique Carrazana2
1 Hawaii Pacific Neuroscience, Honolulu, HI
2 John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaiʻi, Honolulu, HI
Background: Ethnoracial health disparities are increasingly recognized, yet limited data exist on comorbidity patterns within diverse populations treated in neurology clinics. This study presents a clinic-wide overview of demographics and comorbidities, with a focus on NHPI patients, a historically understudied population.
Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted between January 2019 and July 2020. Data from 1,009 patients were stratified by race: White (n=322), Asian, (n=231), NHPI (n=296), and Other (n=160). Rates of psychiatric, neurological, cardiovascular, and metabolic comorbidities were compared across groups using chi-square and one-way ANOVA tests (ɑ=0.05).
Results: NHPI exhibited disproportionately higher rates of metabolic and psychiatric comorbidities (p = <0.001). Nearly half were obese (47.6%), compared to 32.6% of White and 23.8% of Asian patients. NHPI patients also had higher rates of diabetes (15.9%), current tobacco use (24.0%), depression (25.0%), anxiety (14.9%), and sleep disorders (14.2%). The most common neurological conditions among NHPI were chronic pain and migraines. Despite being the youngest group on average (47.5 y/o), NHPI demonstrated an elevated prevalence of comorbid conditions compared to their peers, suggesting increased risk
for early disease onset.
Conclusions: NHPI patients experience significantly higher metabolic and psychiatric burdens than their White and Asian counterparts. These findings reflect how neurologists must also manage the broader medical complexities their patients face, and reinforce the need for culturally sensitive care and targeted early interventions to address health disparities affecting NHPI communities.
