Classification of American Indian race on birth and infant death certificates--California and Montana.

The accuracy of infant mortality rates and other indices of the health of populations depends on the consistency of information collected from separate sources (e.g., birth and death certificates). Inconsistent recording of basic information such as race and ethnicity has resulted in underestimation of mortality among minority populations, particularly minority populations other than blacks. This report summarizes studies in California and Montana that describe and measure the magnitude of differences in the recording of race for American Indians/Alaskan Natives (AI/ANs) on birth and infant death certificates.