Swallen K C, Glaser S L, Stewart S L, West D W, Jenkins C N, McPhee S J
Northern California Cancer Center, Union City, USA.
Ethn Dis. 1998;8(2):218-27.
Racial classification of Asian subgroups is increasingly important for health statistics, given the growing Asian-American populations. This study reports the reliability of racial classification of Vietnamese in population-based cancer registry data from northern California. From the Greater Bay Area Cancer Registry, we selected 2240 persons diagnosed with cancer in 1989-1992 and whom the registry considered Vietnamese by birthplace and/or registry race and/or surname, or who were Southeast Asian or Chinese by race. One thousand ninety persons (49%) were interviewed. Sensitivity and predictive value positive, and cancer incidence rates, were calculated using different combinations of the classification factors (birthplace, registry race, and name). By registry-reported race alone, 74% of those the registry classified as Vietnamese agreed with this classification on interview, while 90% of those identifying themselves as Vietnamese were so classified. With classification based on 2 of 3 factors, 78% of those classified as Vietnamese agreed, and 91% of self-reported Vietnamese were correctly classified. Misclassification was associated with age, sex, year of immigration, education, and language use. Registry-based annual age-adjusted all-site cancer incidence rates per 100,000 for Vietnamese were 287.7 for males and 221.3 for females. Rates adjusted for self-reported ethnicity were 242.8 (male) and 213.7 (female). Registry classification of Vietnamese is currently problematic. Approximately 20% of cancer cases classified as Vietnamese are probably not Vietnamese. The higher incidence rates for Vietnamese in the United States than in Vietnam partly may reflect such classification error.
鉴于亚裔美国人数量不断增加，对亚洲亚组进行种族分类对于健康统计愈发重要。本研究报告了北加利福尼亚基于人群的癌症登记数据中越南人种族分类的可靠性。从大湾区癌症登记处，我们选取了1989 - 1992年被诊断患有癌症的2240人，登记处根据出生地和/或登记种族和/或姓氏将其认定为越南人，或者其种族为东南亚人或中国人。对1090人（49%）进行了访谈。使用分类因素（出生地、登记种族和姓名）的不同组合计算敏感性、阳性预测值以及癌症发病率。仅依据登记报告的种族，登记处归类为越南人的人中74%在访谈中认同这一分类，而自认为是越南人的人中90%被如此归类。基于三个因素中的两个进行分类时，归类为越南人的人中78%认同，自我报告为越南人的人中91%被正确归类。错误分类与年龄、性别、移民年份、教育程度和语言使用有关。基于登记处数据，越南男性每10万人中年龄调整后的全部位癌症年发病率为287.7，女性为221.3。根据自我报告的种族调整后的发病率，男性为242.8，女性为213.7。目前登记处对越南人的分类存在问题。归类为越南人的癌症病例中约20%可能并非越南人。在美国，越南人的发病率高于越南，这部分可能反映了这种分类错误。
