Toward improved health: disaggregating Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander data

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) 2000-11, Vol.90 (11), p.1731-1734
• Main Authors: Srinivasan, S, Guillermo, T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adjustment; Alzheimer's disease; Analysis. Health state; Anthropology. Demography; Asian American people; Asian Americans; Asian Americans - classification; Asian Americans - statistics & numerical data; Asian Continental Ancestry Group - classification; Asian people; Bias; Biological and medical sciences; Census; Census of Population; Censuses; Cervical cancer; Cultural identity; Data collection; Data Collection - methods; Data Collection - standards; Definitions; Disease; Emigration and Immigration - statistics & numerical data; Epidemiology; Ethnicity; European Continental Ancestry Group - classification; General aspects; Guidelines as Topic; Hawaii; Hawaiian American people; Health; Health care; Health Status; Hmong people; Hormone replacement therapy; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; Immigrants; Immigration policy; Implications; Medical sciences; Minority & ethnic groups; Native North Americans; Needs Assessment; Noncitizens; Pacific Islander American people; Pacific Islander people; Population Surveillance - methods; Prejudice; Public Health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Race; Socioeconomic Factors; United States; USA; Womens health
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.90.11.1731

The 2000 census, with its option for respondents to mark 1 or more race categories, is the first US census to recognize the multiethnic nature of all US populations but especially Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders. If Asian Americans and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders have for the most part been "invisible" in policy debates regarding such matters as health care and immigration, it has been largely because of a paucity of data stemming from the lack of disaggregated data on this heterogeneous group of peoples. Studies at all levels should adhere to these disaggregated classifications. Also, in addition to oversampling procedures, there should be greater regional/local funding for studies in regions where Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations are substantial.