title: Linkages to improve mortality data for American Indians and Alaska Natives: a new model for death reporting?
abstract: Racial misclassification is a well-documented weakness of mortality data taken from death certificates. As a result, mortality statistics for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) present, at best, an inaccurate and misleading assessment of mortality in this population. Studies evaluating the quality of race/ethnicity reporting on death certificates have linked data from death certificates to other data sources collected when the decedent was still alive (e.g., Census, Current Population Survey). Such studies have shown substantial misclassification of AI/AN decedents. Despite limitations, linking mortality data from death certificates with data from other sources collected when decedents were living provides opportunities to evaluate and correct misclassification of populations such as AI/AN persons and facilitates the calculation and presentation of more accurate mortality statistics.
authors.affiliation: Robert N. Anderson is with the Division of Vital Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, MD. Glenn Copeland is with the Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics, Michigan Department of Community Health, Lansing. John Mosely Hayes is with the United South and Eastern Tribes, Tribal Epidemiology Center, Nashville, TN.
authors.forename: Robert N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Copeland
authors.forename: John Mosely
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hayes
mesh_terms: D000413:Alaska / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D002423:Cause of Death; D003625:Data Collection; D003644:Death Certificates; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004930:Inuit / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D011159:Population Surveillance
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