Correspondence between interracial births and multiple race reporting in the National Health Interview Survey Jennifer D. Parker Academy Health Annual Research Meeting June 10, 2008 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics

Background In 1997 OMB guidelines for race and ethnicity included requirement for multiple race data collection and reporting within federal agencies The National Health Interview Survey has allowed more than one race response since 1976; multiple race data included on in-house data files since 1997 Interracial births increasing ? What is the relationship between interracial births and multiple race reporting?

Objective To examine the correspondence between multiple race reporting and interracial births in national data systems –How do trends in interracial births and multiple race reporting compare? –How many multiple race respondents in a survey would we expect given the number of interracial births? –Does this expectation differ by race combination? –How do interracial parents identify childs race?

Data sources Natality data 1968 – 2004 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) –All survey participants born in the U.S. from 1968 through 2004 –Children of interracial and multiple race parents NHIS Two biological parents in household

Percent multiple race reporting by NHIS survey year Source: NHIS Multiple race

Percent multiple race reporting by NHIS survey year Source: NHIS Multiple race AIAN/white black/white API/white AIAN=American Indian/Alaska Native; API=Asian or Pacific Islander

Percent multiple race reporting by NHIS survey year, all respondents and those born Source: NHIS All respondents Born

Percent interracial births and multiple race reporting by year of birth Source: Natality Files and NHIS Multiple race Interracial births

Percent black/white interracial births and multiple race reporting by year of birth Source: Natality Files and NHIS Interracial births Multiple race

Percent AIAN/white interracial births and multiple race reporting by year of birth Source: Natality Files and NHIS Interracial births Multiple race AIAN=American Indian/Alaska Native

Percent API/white interracial births and multiple race reporting by year of birth Source: Natality Files and NHIS Interracial births Multiple race API=Asian or Pacific Islander

Expected and observed percent multiple race reporting in the NHIS for respondents born 1968 through 2004 Source: Natality Files and NHIS Expected Observed

Expected and observed percent black-white multiple race reporting in the NHIS for respondents born 1968 through 2004 Source: Natality Files and NHIS Expected Observed

Expected and observed percent AIAN-white multiple race reporting in the NHIS for respondents born 1968 through 2004 Source: Natality Files and NHIS Expected Observed AIAN=American Indian/Alaska Native

Expected and observed percent API/white multiple race reporting in the NHIS for respondents born 1968 through 2004 Source: Natality Files and NHIS Expected Observed API=Asian or Pacific Islander

Childs reported race, by parents race children with one white and one black parent white black white black white/black Source: NHIS

Childs reported race, by parents race children with one white and one AIAN parent white AIAN AIAN/whitewhite AIAN AIAN/white Source: NHIS

Childs reported race, by parents race children with one white and one API parent white API API/white white API API/white Source: NHIS

Childs reported race, by parents race c hildren with one or two multiple race parents white blk black/white AIAN AIAN/wht API API/wht Source: NHIS

There are several issues that make the preceding comparisons ballpark Data collection for race changed between Hispanic populations have increased; race reporting by Hispanics may complicate these comparisons Procedures for missing race and Other race differed between data sources and over time Missing fathers race on vital statistics increased over time and underestimates interracial births Combining NHIS for birth-year analysis ignores reporting trends No variances were estimated for the percentages; no statistical tests were done

Conclusions Interracial births do not correspond to multiple race reporting in the NHIS and comparisons differ among race groups –Black/white and API/white report > 1 race less often than expected by birth records –Comparisons for AIAN/white vary by age Interracial parents do not consistently report one race, the other, or both for their children

Acknowledgement Catherine Duran provided invaluable programming assistance