Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Utilization of Race and Ethnicity in Major Epidemiology Journals 1995-2018: A Systematic Review

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Citation

Martinez, Rae Anne; Wilbur, Rachel E.; Andrabi, Nafeesa; Goodwin, Andrea; Smith, Natalie R.; & Zivich, Paul N. (2023). Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Utilization of Race and Ethnicity in Major Epidemiology Journals 1995-2018: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Epidemiology, 192(3), 483-496. PMCID: PMC9985111

Abstract

Despite repeated calls by scholars to critically engage with the concepts of race and ethnicity in US epidemiologic research, the incorporation of these social constructs in scholarship may be suboptimal. This study characterizes the conceptualization, operationalization, and utilization of race and ethnicity in US research published in leading journals whose publications shape discourse and norms around race, ethnicity, and health within the field of epidemiology. We systematically reviewed randomly selected articles from prominent epidemiology journals across five periods: 1995-99, 2000-04, 2005-09, 2010-14, 2015-18. All original human-subjects research conducted in the US was eligible for review. Information on definitions, measurement, coding, and use in analysis was extracted. We reviewed 1050 articles, including 414 (39%) in analyses. Four studies explicitly defined race and/or ethnicity. Authors rarely made clear delineations between race and ethnicity, often adopting an ethno-racial construct. In the majority of studies across time periods, authors did not state how race and/or ethnicity was measured. Top coding schemes included “Black, White” (race), “Hispanic, Non-Hispanic” (ethnicity), and “Black, White, Hispanic” (ethno-racial). Most often, race and ethnicity were deemed “not of interest” in analyses (e.g., control variable). Broadly, disciplinary practices have remained largely the same between 1995-2018 and are in need of improvement.

URL

https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwac146

Reference Type

Journal Article

Year Published

2023

Journal Title

American Journal of Epidemiology

Author(s)

Martinez, Rae Anne
Wilbur, Rachel E.
Andrabi, Nafeesa
Goodwin, Andrea
Smith, Natalie R.
Zivich, Paul N.

Article Type

Regular

PMCID

PMC9985111

ORCiD

Goodwin - 0000-0002-5976-8167
Zivich - 0000-0002-9932-1095
Martinez, RA - 0000-0003-0262-1049
Wilbur - 0000-0002-3008-962X
Smith, N. - 0000-0002-2052-9433