Biomaterial Database

Race/ethnicity and OMB Directive 15: implications for state public health practice. 2000

D J Friedman, and B B Cohen, and A R Averbach, and J M Norton

Research and Evaluation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston 02108, USA. danieljfriedman@attglobal.net

OBJECTIVE This study assessed the impact of the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) 1997 revised standards for the collection of race and ethnicity data on state health departments, using the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) as the primary example, and we make recommendations for states' implementation of these standards. METHODS After analyzing the revised OMB standards, existing MDPH data sets were assessed for the impact of the revised standards on data collection, tabulation, analysis, and reporting for state health departments. RESULTS The revised OMB standards will have an impact on the MDPH and other state health departments. Similarities and differences exist between federal and state health agencies regarding the purpose of data collection, tabulation, analysis, and reporting. These similarities and differences will affect state implementation of the revised OMB standards. CONCLUSIONS States need to plan for the implementation of the revised OMB standards and to understand the impact of this revision on the collecting and reporting of public health data. The revised OMB standards will introduce added complexities to the collection and analysis of race and ethnicity data, but they will also produce a more nuanced understanding of the relationship of race and ethnicity to the health of the American people.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007256	Information Systems	Integrated set of files, procedures, and equipment for the storage, manipulation, and retrieval of information.	Ancillary Information Systems,Emergency Care Information Systems,Information Retrieval Systems,Perinatal Information System,Ancillary Information System,Information Retrieval System,Information System,Information System, Ancillary,Information System, Perinatal,Perinatal Information Systems,Systems, Information Retrieval
D008404	Massachusetts	State bounded on the north by New Hampshire and Vermont, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the south by Connecticut and Rhode Island, and on the west by New York.
D011159	Population Surveillance	Ongoing scrutiny of a population (general population, study population, target population, etc.), generally using methods distinguished by their practicability, uniformity, and frequently their rapidity, rather than by complete accuracy.	Surveillance, Population
D003625	Data Collection	Systematic gathering of data for a particular purpose from various sources, including questionnaires, interviews, observation, existing records, and electronic devices. The process is usually preliminary to statistical analysis of the data.	Data Collection Methods,Dual Data Collection,Collection Method, Data,Collection Methods, Data,Collection, Data,Collection, Dual Data,Data Collection Method,Method, Data Collection,Methods, Data Collection
D003627	Data Interpretation, Statistical	Application of statistical procedures to analyze specific observed or assumed facts from a particular study.	Data Analysis, Statistical,Data Interpretations, Statistical,Interpretation, Statistical Data,Statistical Data Analysis,Statistical Data Interpretation,Analyses, Statistical Data,Analysis, Statistical Data,Data Analyses, Statistical,Interpretations, Statistical Data,Statistical Data Analyses,Statistical Data Interpretations
D005006	Ethnicity	A group of people with a common cultural heritage that sets them apart from others in a variety of social relationships.	Ethnic Groups,Nationality,Ethnic Group,Nationalities
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D013219	State Government	The level of governmental organization and function below that of the national or country-wide government.	Government, State,Provincial Government,Government, Provincial,Governments, State,State Governments
D013221	State Health Plans	State plans prepared by the State Health Planning and Development Agencies which are made up from plans submitted by the Health Systems Agencies and subject to review and revision by the Statewide Health Coordinating Council.	Comprehensive Health Plans, State,Health Plan, State,Health Plans, State,Plan, State Health,Plans, State Health,State Health Plan
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.