Disaggregating data on U.S. populations classified as black to study contributions of race and ethnicity to physical and mental health outcomes

The Foundation's initiative, Exploring Issues to Address Disaggregation of Health Data Within Ethnic/Racial Groups, was designed to support: (1) five literature reviews that each summarize key issues related to disaggregation of health data for an ethnic/racial group; (2) up to five convenings that each explore opportunities to address data disaggregation based on findings from the literature reviews; and (3) a thought partner that will facilitate convenings and develop a report that synthesizes findings and recommendations across the convenings.This grant supports the development of a review of relevant literature and empirical datasets examining the contributions of both race and ethnicity to physical and mental health of individuals and groups classified as Black in the United States. Activities will include an extensive literature review and interviews with key informants involved in both public and private data collection efforts involving racial and ethnic differences in health. The goal of these activities will be to understand how health data have been and should be disaggregated within the Black ethnic/racial category in the United States. Deliverables will include a report that: (1) synthesizes existing literature and primary datasets, and (2) outlines realistic suggestions for how existing data and future data collection efforts could be improved to allow for more meaningful assessments of the effects of racial and ethnic disaggregation among the Black population. Although a draft of the review will be submitted by September 2016, James Jackson (PhD, principal investigator) will remain active on the project through fall 2017, assisting with reviewing various components of the project.