REVIEW OF VITAL STATISTICS Brady E. Hamilton, Ph.D. Reproductive Statistics Branch and Elizabeth Arias, Ph.D. Mortality Statistics Branch Division of Vital Statistics National Center for Health Statistics

VITAL STATISTICS Relationship between vital statistics and population estimates Source of vital statistics Race and Hispanic origin on birth and death certificates

VITAL STATISTICS (cont.) Vital statistics data by race and Hispanic origin Accuracy of race and Hispanic origin data on vital records Future developments

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN VITAL STATISTICS AND POPULATION ESTIMATES Population estimates are based in part on vital statistics data on births and deaths P T1 = P T0 + B T1-0 - D T1-0 + I T1-0 - E T1-0 Vital rates construction depends on population estimates by demographic characteristics Rate = Demographic Event/Population

SOURCE OF VITAL STATISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES National vital statistics are State- based, as vital registration is not a Federal function stipulated by the Constitution. Vital statistics is a cooperative system with common data standards, definitions, and reporting requirements.

SOURCE OF VITAL STATISTICS IN THE US (cont.) U.S. Standard Certificate of Live Birth and U.S. Standard Certificate of Death are revised approximately every ten years. Core items are the same among States, but other items may be included.

RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN ITEMS ON VITAL RECORDS Birth certificate - Items 26 and 25. Information provided by mother Death certificate - Items 15 and 14. Information provided to funeral director by an informant, usually a family member but sometimes inferred by funeral director from observation

VITAL STATISTICS DATA ON RACE 1977 Race Categories White Black American Indian Asian or Pacific Islander Chinese Japanese Hawaiian Filipino Other Asian or Pacific Islander Other 1997 Race Categories White Black or African American American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian Asian Indian Chinese Filipino Japanese Korean Vietnamese Other Asian Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander Guamanian or Chamorro Samoan Other Pacific Islander Other

VITAL STATISTICS DATA ON HISPANIC ORIGIN Hispanic Origin Cuban Mexican Puerto Rican South or Central American Unknown Hispanic Origin

ACCURACY OF RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN DATA ON VITAL RECORDS Births Comparability study of birth certificates and the 1988 NMIHS found agreement: Race: 98 percent for mother’s and father=s race Hispanic Origin: 98 percent for mothers, and percent for fathers.

ACCURACY OF RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN DATA ON VITAL RECORDS Deaths Comparability study of death certificates and the Current Population Surveys of found net comparisons, expressed as ratio of CPS/dc White 1.00 Black 1.00 American Indian1.37 API 1.13 Hispanic Origin1.07

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS New standard certificates planned for implementation in the year 2003 by the States. Race and Hispanic Origin items on the new standard certificates parallel those used in the Year 2000 Census.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS (cont.) A few States will implement new race and ethnicity items before 2003, which can provide the basis for assessment of the new items. NCHS is working on edit and tabulation specifications similar to those of the Census in order to maximize comparability.

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS (cont.) Issues: Quality assessment Goal: To produce vital rates and population estimates for which race and ethnicity match one another as closely as possible.