The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #74203

Vickie M. Mays, PhD, MSPH, Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, 1283 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, (310) 206-5159, mays@ucla.edu, Ninez Alafriz Ponce, MPP, PhD, UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, UCLA School of Public Health, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, Donna L. Washington, Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Department of Veterans Affairs, 11301 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90073, and Susan D. Cochran, PhD, MS, Epidemiology, UCLA School of Public Health, 650 Charles Young Drive, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772.

Emerging methods in the measurement of race and ethnicity have important implications for the field of public health. Traditionally, information on race and/or ethnicity has been integral to our understanding of the health issues affecting the U.S. population. This presentation will review some of the complexities created by new classification approaches made possible by the inclusion of multiple-race assessment in the U.S. Census and large health surveys. The importance of these classification decisions in understanding racial/ethnic health and health care access disparities, and national efforts to improve racial and ethnic data will also be discussed. The trend toward increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the U.S. will put further pressure on the public health industry to develop consistent and useful approaches to racial/ethnic classifications.

Learning Objectives:

• To review emerging methods in the measurement of race and ethnicity.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.