Trends in Collection of Disaggregated Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Data: Opportunities in Federal Health Surveys

Abstract

Collection of data for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) persons that is disaggregated by ethnic subgroup may identify disparities that are not apparent in aggregated data. Using content analysis, we identified national population surveys administered by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and evaluated trends in the collection of disaggregated AANHPI data between 2011 and 2021. In 2011, 4 of 15 surveys (27%) collected disaggregated data for Asian American, 2 of 15 surveys (13%) collected data on Native Hawaiian, and 2 of 15 surveys (13%) collected disaggregated data for Pacific Islander people. By 2019, 14 of 21 HHS-administered surveys (67%) collected disaggregated data for Asian American (6 subgroups), 67% collected data on Native Hawaiian, and 67% collected disaggregated data on Pacific Islander (3 subgroups) people. Collection of disaggregated AANHPI data in HHS-administered surveys increased from 2011 to 2021, but opportunities to expand collection and reporting remain. Strategies include outreach with community organizations, increased language assistance, and oversampling approaches. Increased availability and reporting of these data can inform health policies and mitigate disparities. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(10):1429-1435. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306969).

FIGURE 1—

Trends in Collection of Disaggregated Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Data: US Department of Health and Human Services‒Administered Surveys Note. Limited to 14 surveys that consistently collected data between 2011 and 2019 (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, Fee for Service Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Provider and Systems, Health and Retirement Study, Health Outcomes Survey, Home Health Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Provider and Systems, Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Provider and Systems, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey [NHANES], National Health Interview Survey, National Immunization Survey [NIS], National Survey of Family Growth, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, National Youth Tobacco Survey). Disaggregated Asian American data for all surveys included Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other Asian. Disaggregated Pacific Islander data included Native Hawaiian, Guamanian or Chamorro, Samoan, and other Pacific Islander. NHANES collected data on 29 additional Asian American subgroups (Bangladeshi, Bengalese, Bharat, Bhutanese, Burmese, Cambodian, Cantonese, Dravidian, East Indian, Goanese, Hmong, Indochinese, Indonesian, Iwo Jiman, Lao-Hmong, Laotian, Madagascar/Malagasy, Malaysian, Maldivian, Mong, Nepalese, Nipponese, Okinawan, Pakistani, Siamese, Singaporean, Sri Lankan, Taiwanese, and Thai) and NIS collected data on 6 additional Pacific Islander subgroups (Chuukese, Pohnpeian, Palauan, Yapese, Kosraean, and Marshallese).