Pain: anxiety and attitudes in Black, white and Puerto Rican patients

Reactions of black, white and Puerto Rican patients were studied in an outpatient dental emergency clinic. Measures used included the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, palmar sweat prints, an interview to obtain patient characteristics and attitudes toward pain, Dental Anxiety Scale and a posttreatment dentist rating. No differences between ethnic and racial groups were obtained in amount of pain, number or type of symptoms patients had. Significant Trait Anxiety differences were obtained. Puerto Ricans had the highest level of Trait Anxiety, whites the lowest, with blacks in the middle. The Dental Anxiety Scale also yielded differences with Puerto Ricans scoring highest, blacks lowest and whites in between. Attitude differences reflected a relative willingness to deny, get rid of or avoid dealing with the pain. The Puerto Ricans scored highest, whites lowest, with blacks in between. No physiological differences were obtained with palmar sweat prints.