Discrepancies between observed and self-identified race in spirometry interpretation: insights from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

2025/10/28 by Amin Adibi, Emily Brigham, Chris Carlsten +3 · 1 voice
Medicine · Social Sciences · #Asthma and respiratory diseases #Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research #Racial and Ethnic Identity Research

paper · doi:10.1183/13993003.01752-2025

openalex publication_date 2025/10/28 · openalex created_date 2025/10/29 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31

Abstract

<title>Extract</title> Race-specific spirometry reference equations have been criticized for assigning biological meaning to a social construct and for their potential to perpetuate health disparities by normalizing lower lung function that may be pathologic and reflect environmental and social exposures [1–3]. A less examined but equally critical issue is inconsistent recording of race in clinical settings.

Citations

• Is Achieving a Fully Race-Neutral Approach to Lung Function Classification Even Possible?
• Social Determinants of Health and Racial Disparities in Lung Function: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007–2012

Discussions

• Very nice! The Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging has longitudinal perceptions of race during spirometry encounters but not much on how people were treated. We recently reported crazy high discrepan [bsky, 1 points, 1 comments]

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