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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Nancy D. Brener, PhD, Danice K. Eaton, PhD, and Laura Kann, PhD. Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Mailstop K-33, Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-488-6184, nad1@cdc.gov

Since the national Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was established, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has used one question to assess the race/ethnicity of high school students. In 2005, CDC changed to a two-question format to satisfy Office of Management and Budget requirements. To understand how the new format affects reporting of race/ethnicity, CDC conducted a methodological study in one urban school district. Students in grades 9 through 12 (n=829) were asked at the beginning of a 91-item questionnaire, “How do you describe yourself?,” with “Hispanic or Latino” as one of several response options. At the end of the questionnaire, students were asked, “Are you Hispanic or Latino?” and then “What is your race?” Using standard algorithms to categorize students, 10.6% were classified as white, 46.9% as black, 32.7% as Hispanic, 8.9% as other, and 0.8% as missing based on the single-question format. Using the two-question format yielded a similar distribution: 10.0% white, 40.1% black, 33.9% Hispanic, 8.0% other, and 8.1% missing. The difference between these distributions was explained by the disproportionate number of black students who left multiple questions blank at the end of the questionnaire. Regardless of how race/ethnicity was assessed, 91.2% of students were classified in the same category (kappa=.77). These results suggest self-reported race/ethnicity among high school students is similar regardless of which question format is used, and the changed format will not affect the ability of YRBS data users to conduct trend analysis by race/ethnicity.

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

• Describe the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
• Identify the effect of changing methods of assessing race/ethnicity, including the implications for trend analyses

Keywords: Adolescents, Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No