[Ethnicity and race as variables in epidemiological research about inequity].
نویسندگان
چکیده
Epidemiology analyzes differences in states of health and disease of populations. Public Policies are established considering inequities associated with ethnicity and race. In this context, the identification of vulnerable groups for concentration of resources is relevant. Nevertheless, the lack of a clear definition of these variables might lead to biased results and interpretations. Two problems about the use of these variables are discussed. First, lack of a measurable and objective characteristic, even considering self reference (gold standard), considering that the opinion of a person can change in time. The second problem is a consequence of the former, basing research on a poorly defined variable. Uses of ethnicity and race variables between 1920-1999 in the American Journal of Epidemiology, Health Services Research and American Journal of Public Health were reviewed. In 919 articles, 27 different names identified to describe these variables and more than half did not describe the reason to use these variables. Almost half did not describe analytical methods. Although some articles found statistically significant relationships, less than half discussed those results. It has been suggested that there is enough evidence to exclude these variables in biomedical investigations. However, others propose that they cannot be excluded, given their multidimensional condition that includes social, cultural and genetic features. Therefore, provided the lack of clear definition, the assessment of ethnicity and race effects must be done as rigorously as possible.
منابع مشابه
The conceptualization and operationalization of race and ethnicity by health services researchers.
Racial and ethnic variables are routinely used in health services research. However, there is a growing debate within nursing and other disciplines about the usefulness of these variables in research. A qualitative study was undertaken (July 2004 - November 2004) to ascertain how researchers conceptualize and operationalize racial and ethnic data. Data were derived from interviews with 33 parti...
متن کاملPatient Race and Provider Predict Patient Satisfaction Following Post-Mastectomy Breast Reconstruction
BACKGROUND Post-mastectomy breast reconstruction is commonly performed in the United States with numerous options available to patients and providers. This study evaluated patient race and provider in prediction of patient satisfaction following post-mastectomy breast reconstruction. METHODS The patient satisfaction for women who underwent post mastectomy breast reconstruction at U...
متن کاملSocioeconomic Status and Current Cigarette Smoking Status: Immigrants’ Diminished Returns
Introduction: Although socioeconomic status (SES) resources influence population and individual health behaviors, socially marginalized groups gain significantly less health from their SES indicators, such as education and income, compared to the socially privileged groups. This pattern is called marginalization-related diminished returns (MDRs). However, most of the MDRs liter...
متن کاملRace and ethnicity in genetic research.
Use of race and ethnicity terms in genetic research continues to generate controversy. Despite differing opinions about their basis or relevance, there is some agreement that investigators using these terms should: explain why the terms or categories were used, define them carefully, and apply them consistently. An important question is whether these recommendations are reflected in practice. H...
متن کاملRe: "Four-year review of the use of race and ethnicity in epidemiologic and public health research".
To determine how current researchers address the use of race and ethnicity as variables in epidemiologic and public health studies, the authors conducted a comprehensive review of 1,198 articles published in the American Journal of Epidemiology and the American Journal of Public Health from 1996 to 1999. Seventy-seven percent (n = 919) of the articles referred to race or ethnicity. The number o...
متن کاملذخیره در منابع من
با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید
برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید
ثبت ناماگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید
ورودعنوان ژورنال:
- Revista medica de Chile
دوره 136 5 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2008