Williams D R, Jackson J S
Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Am J Public Health. 2000 Nov;90(11):1728-30. doi: 10.2105/ajph.90.11.1728.
This commentary considers the implications of the assessment of racial/ethnic status for monitoring the health of African Americans and other Black populations in the United States. It argues that because racial disparities in health and other social indicators persist undiminished, the continued assessment of race is essential. However, efforts must be made to ensure that racial data are of the highest quality. This will require uniform assessment of racial status that includes identifiers for subgroups of the Black population. Research also indicates that the health of multiracial persons varies by maternal race. Thus, efforts to monitor multiracial status should assess the race of both parents. More attention should also be given to analysis and interpretation of racial data and to the collection of additional data that capture characteristics linked to race (such as socioeconomic factors and racism) that may adversely affect health.
本评论探讨了种族/族裔状况评估对监测美国非裔美国人和其他黑人人口健康的影响。它认为，由于健康和其他社会指标方面的种族差异持续存在且未减弱，持续进行种族评估至关重要。然而，必须努力确保种族数据具有最高质量。这将需要对种族状况进行统一评估，包括黑人人口亚群体的标识符。研究还表明，混血儿的健康状况因母亲的种族而异。因此，监测混血状况的努力应评估父母双方的种族。还应更加关注种族数据的分析和解读，以及收集更多能够反映与种族相关特征（如社会经济因素和种族主义）的数据，这些特征可能对健康产生不利影响。
