Patterns of black and white hysterectomy incidence among reproductive aged women

Objective: To investigate the intersection of race and economic context in treatment with hysterectomy among reproductive aged women with noncancerous gynecologic conditions.

Data sources: We combined administrative billing records of inpatient and outpatient hysterectomy procedures (N = 28 301) occurring in North Carolina between 2011 and 2014 with census data to calculate county-level hysterectomy rates.

Study design: Spatial analysis techniques examined the distribution of black and white hysterectomy rates across counties, and county-level black and white rate differences were compared across economic contexts.

Data collection/extraction: We restricted to those of premenopausal age identifying as non-Hispanic black or white, undergoing hysterectomy for nonemergent causes (N = 28 301 procedures).

Principal findings: County-level hysterectomy rates were spatially patterned (Moran's I, P < .05) and similarly so for black and white women (LISA, P < .005). The black-white difference in hysterectomy rates was the largest in the high economic tier counties (22/10 000 person-years [PY], P < .05) and smallest in the mid and low economic tier counties (11/10 000 PY, P > .05 and 10/10 000 PY, P > .05, respectively).

Conclusion: Socioeconomic context is important to understand, particularly for black-white disparities in hysterectomy. Efforts should be made to understand the causes of higher rates of hysterectomy among blacks than whites, especially in counties in the highest economic tier.