| Race and ethnicity in public health surveillance: criteria for the scientific use of social categories. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 8303018 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Public health surveillance is the cornerstone of public health practice. The uses of surveillance include the identification of patterns of health among population subgroups. The assessment of race and ethnicity in public health surveillance is fundamental to the reduction of preventable excesses in poor health among racial and ethnic populations. We review the use of race and ethnic variables in national public health surveillance systems in the United States. One barrier to the use of race and ethnicity in public health surveillance is the lack of scientific consensus on the nature of race and ethnicity and the measurement of these variables. Differences in terminology, data collection procedures, perceptions of group identity, and changing demographics of the U.S. population present particular challenges for surveillance. We propose criteria for any useful variables collected through surveillance. Application of these criteria to race and ethnicity suggests that race as assessed in surveillance is not primarily associated with biological characteristics, but it is more like ethnicity--a matter of self-perceived membership in population groups. Regular evaluation of surveillance systems will contribute to the usefulness of information on race and ethnicity in the improvement of the health of minority populations. |
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Authors:
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R A Hahn; D F Stroup |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Public health reports (Washington, D.C. : 1974) Volume: 109 ISSN: 0033-3549 ISO Abbreviation: Public Health Rep Publication Date: 1994 Jan-Feb |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 1994-03-10 Completed Date: 1994-03-10 Revised Date: 2009-11-18 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 9716844 Medline TA: Public Health Rep Country: UNITED STATES |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 7-15 Citation Subset: AIM; IM |
Affiliation:
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Division of Surveillance and Epidemiology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333. |
Export Citation:
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APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Continental Population Groups*
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classification,
genetics Data Collection / methods Ethnic Groups* / classification, psychology, statistics & numerical data Government Agencies Humans Population Surveillance / methods* Reproducibility of Results Self Concept United States / epidemiology Vital Statistics |
| Comments/Corrections | |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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