Concepts of race and ethnicity among health researchers: patterns and implications.
OBJECTIVE
This study adds to the discussion of appropriate categories of analysis in health research. We contribute data based on actual interviews about the concepts of race and ethnicity, conducted among a broad range of US health researchers.


METHODS
In-person qualitative interviews were conducted with 73 scientists at two health research institutions, one that focused on public health research, and one that focused on research about a specific disease. This represents a larger and more interdisciplinary sample of health researchers than has been previously interviewed about these topics.


RESULTS
We identify a core model of how race and ethnicity are understood. The respondents were confused about the concepts of race and ethnicity and their link to genetic differences between populations; many treated these concepts as interchangeable and genetically based. Although ethnicity was considered somewhat more socially constructed, it was often felt to cause unhealthy behavior. In addition, the situation is not improving; the younger health researchers tended to put a stronger emphasis on the genetic aspects of race than did the older health researchers.


CONCLUSIONS
Unlike reviews of how these concepts are used in scientific publications in which race and ethnicity are often undefined, our face-to-face interviews with these researchers allowed an understanding of their concepts of race and ethnicity. Building on their actual perspectives, these data suggest alternative approaches to formal and continuing educational training for health researchers. We recommend beginning with discussions of human diversity, and then moving on to what race and ethnicity are - and are not.
Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA. baer@usf.edu
Roberta D
RD
Baer
Erika
E
Arteaga
Karen
K
Dyer
Aimee
A
Eden
Rosalyn
R
Gross
Hannah
H
Helmy
Margaret
M
Karnyski
Airia
A
Papadopoulos
Doug
D
Reeser
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D035843:Biomedical Research; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health; D036301:Qualitative Research; D044469:Racial Groups; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000523:psychology*