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Minority Health

For several decades, NCHS has held a leadership role in highlighting the health of racial and ethnic populations in the United States, and in calling attention to the significant differences that exist between various population groups.

NCHS data programs provide the statistics to profile the health of minority populations in the United States. Vital statistics provide information on life expectancy, infant mortality, and patterns of birth by prenatal care and birth weight. Other data to determine the prevalence of major chronic conditions -- such as heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes, and the use of hospital and physician services -- are provided through health surveys. In general, all NCHS data systems can make estimates for the black and Hispanic populations, but are limited in their ability to provide data for Asian or Pacific Islanders, and for American Indians or Alaskan Natives. NCHS is continuing its efforts to improve the availability of data for minority populations. These efforts include oversampling of minority populations in NCHS surveys to improve the precision of the estimates made based on the collected data; modification of coding methodologies to provide data for subpopulations of the broader racial and ethnic groups; and increased publication of data for racial and ethnic minority populations. NCHS has conducted the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey that includes a range of data on chronic conditions, disability, growth, and physical development.

As a result of legislation passed in 1990, an extramural grants program to improve minority statistics was established by NCHS. Grants were authorized for the support of studies to fill in gaps where national surveys cannot provide sufficient data; analysis of existing data; and research to improve methods for obtaining information on racial and ethnic subpopulations.

This page last reviewed January 11, 2007