Use of Race and Ethnicity in Public Health Surveillance. Summary of the DC/ATSDR workshop. Atlanta, Georgia, March 1-2, 1993

Abstract

Improvement of the health of racial and ethnic minority populations is a priority for CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR). Information on race and ethnicity is a critical element in public health surveillance efforts. To address this issue, CDC and the ATSDR conducted a 2-day workshop, "The Use of Race and Ethnicity in Public Health Surveillance," held in Atlanta on March 1-2, 1993. Workshop participants included CDC and ATSDR professional staff and invited experts from academia and the private sector. Objectives of the workshop were to: Describe the current measures of race and ethnicity and their use in public health surveillance at CDC/ATSDR. Assess the epidemiologic basis of the use of race and ethnicity in surveillance for planning, operation, and evaluation of public health programs at CDC/ATSDR. Propose better use of existing measures for race and ethnicity or to identify alternative measures.