Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #107204

S. Antonio Ruiz-Quintanilla, PhD, Robert Weathers, PhD, and Andrew J. Houtenville, PhD. Employment and Disability Institute, Cornell University, 303A ILR Extension Building, Ithaca, NY 14853, (607)255-9605, rw56@cornell.edu

A goal of Healthy People 2010 is to eliminate the health and employment disparities between those with and without disabilities. While U. S. Census Bureau data can identify health and employment differences between persons with and without disabilities, they provide limited information on the causes, accompanying factors (correlates) and consequences of such differences. Polling procedures and surveys designed to gather more in-depth data may be difficult to generalize to the larger population because of their small sample sizes. Linking polling and census data using a set of common questions provides an opportunity to overcome these limitations. We use data collected from New York State residents by the Cornell University Empire Poll to demonstrate how polls and similar data collection efforts may be combined with Census Bureau data to gather information needed to design policies that target the Healthy People 2010 goal.

The first section of this paper uses the American Community Survey to examine the external validity of the Cornell University Empire Poll. The second section shows how the more detailed information on the population with and without disabilities from the Empire Poll may be used to gain a better understanding of factors related to differences in health and employment. The final section of the paper identifies the advantages and limitations of the current approach and discusses how these limitations might be addressed in future research.

Learning Objectives: "At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to

• List the indicators of disparities between those with and without disabilities identified in Healthy People 2010
• Articulate methods that may be used to link polling data and surveys to Census Bureau data.
• Describe the factors associated with differences in employment and economic outcomes for persons with and without disabilities.
• Identify limitations with current data collection efforts and new methods that may be used to overcome these limitations.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation