The validity of information on "race" and "Hispanic ethnicity" in California birth certificate data.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the validity of racial/ethnic information in California birth certificate data.


METHODS
Computerized birth certificate data and postpartum interviews with California mothers.


METHODS
Birth certificates were matched with face-to-face structured postpartum interviews with 7,428 mothers to compare racial/ethnic information between the two data sources. Interviews were conducted in Spanish or English during delivery stays at 16 California hospitals, 1994-1995.


RESULTS
The sensitivity of racial/ethnic classification in birth certificate data was very high (94 percent to 99 percent) for African Americans, Asians/Pacific Islanders, Europeans/Middle Easterners, and Latinas (Hispanics). For Native Americans, however, the sensitivity was only 54 percent. The positive predictive value of birth certificate classification of race/ethnicity was high for all racial/ethnic groups (96 percent to 97 percent).


CONCLUSIONS
Despite limited training of birth clerks, the maternal racial/ethnic information in California birth certificate data appears to be a valid measure of self-identified race and Hispanic ethnicity for groups other than Native Americans.
Baumeister
L
L
Dept. of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0900, USA.
Marchi
K
K
Pearl
M
M
Williams
R
R
Braveman
P
P
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001719:Birth Certificates; D002140:California; D003625:Data Collection / Q000592:standards; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000145:classification; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000145:classification*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000145:classification*; D014798:Vital Statistics