Limited access to health data on American Indian and Alaska Natives impedes population health insights

Limited access to health data on American Indian and Alaska Natives impedes population health insights

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Series Title(s):
Health policy brief (UCLA Center for Health Policy Research)
Author(s):
Becker, Tara, author
Babey, Susan H., author
Shimkhada, Riti, author
Scheitler, AJ, author
Ponce, Ninez A., author
Contributor(s):
UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, issuing body.
Publication:
Los Angeles, CA : UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, November 2020
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Data Collection
Demography
Indians, North American
Population Health
United States
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) people are underrepresented and often invisible in public health data and research. AIAN health data capacity is impeded by the quality of information collected, released, and reported on AIANs in population-based surveys. AIANs are either put in a residual "other" category or, typically, depicted as single-race non-Latinx AIANs. Though the figure varies substantially across federal surveys, fewer than two in five AIANs report as single-race non-Latinx AIANs. Drawing population inferences based on single-race AIANs also fails to capture the considerable segment of the AIAN population that comprises individuals of more than one race. To promote more accurate insights on the health of the AIAN population, we examined eight population datasets that focus on health, health status, health behaviors, and health access. For each survey, we assessed whether it is possible to identify AIAN respondents from (1) readily accessible public-use data files and (2) restricted data files. We also assessed the extent to which data users can distinguish three major subgroups within the AIAN race category from these data files: single-race non-Latinx AIAN, single-race Latinx AIAN, and AIAN of more than one race. In this policy brief, we discuss the implications of the limited accessibility of AIAN information in population datasets and provide some recommendations that may help improve the availability of AIAN health information.
Copyright:
Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (7 pages, 1 unnumbered page))
Illustrations:
Illustrations
NLM Unique ID:
101773759 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101773759