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Updated: Aug 4, 2026
14:43
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
Multiple-race mothers on the California birth certificate, 2000
K E Heck1, J D Parker, C J McKendry
1National Center for Health Statistics , Sacramento, California, USA. kheck@dhs.ca.gov
Ethnicity & Disease
|January 5, 2002
Summary
Multiple race reporting on birth certificates is a growing trend. Analysis of California birth data reveals significant variations in maternal demographics and birth outcomes among these diverse groups.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Demography
- Sociology
Background:
- Increasingly, data systems permit individuals to report multiple racial or ethnic affiliations.
- The impact of this multi-racial reporting on race-specific birth characteristic tabulations remains largely unexamined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze demographic characteristics and birth outcomes for mothers reporting multiple races.
- To understand the implications of multiple race reporting on birth data.
Main Methods:
- Descriptive study utilizing California birth certificate data from 2000.
- Analysis of 530,305 electronically registered births, focusing on six multiple-race/ethnic groups with over 300 births.
Main Results:
- 1.7% of mothers reported multiple races.
- The most frequent multi-racial groups were non-Hispanic Asian/White and Hispanic/American Indian or Alaska Native/White.
- Significant variations in characteristics and birth outcomes were observed among multi-racial subgroups compared to single-race groups, including teenage birth rates.
Conclusions:
- Multiple race reporting presents challenges for public health researchers in accurately tracking trends and making comparisons in birth outcomes.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the nuances of multi-racial data in public health surveillance.
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