Association of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender to Disparities in Functional Recovery and Social Health After Major Lower Limb Amputation: A Cross-sectional Pilot Study.

This was a pilot study with 56 participants, so it is better for estimating associations than for proving causes. The sample was convenience-based and recruited from clinic sites, and the authors said generalizability is premature. The study grouped many racial and ethnic identities together as Persons of Color, which may hide differences within that group. The study excluded people with lower limb amputation who did not use a prosthesis daily, so it may miss a more vulnerable group. Four participants who did not report income were recategorized to the median income level. Some group differences did not reach statistical significance, and the regression models explained only small parts of the outcome scores. The gender categories used were male and female, which the authors said are not appropriate for current gender descriptors.

The authors reported no conflicts of interest. The article is marked as supported by non-U.S. government and NIH extramural research funding.

Do not read the lower scores in Women of Color as proof that gender, race-ethnicity, or income cause worse recovery. This was a cross-sectional pilot study with 56 people, no treatment was tested, and the authors said generalizability is premature.