Methodology For Classifying Asian/Pacific Islanders, American Indians, White Hispanics, Black Hispanics, Asian/Pacific Islander Hispanics, and American Indian Hispanics for 1991-1997 MISER Population EstimatesHispanics for 1991-1997 MISER Population Estimates.

Introduction:

Population estimates for intercensal years are obtained from the Massachusetts Institute for Social and Economic Research (MISER). MISER uses four mutually exclusive race classifications: non-Hispanic white; non-Hispanic black; non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian; and Hispanic. These classifications are inconsistent with how the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) classifies race when determining population for use as denominators in the calculation of rates. Therefore, a methodology was developed to calculate the population for total whites, total blacks, total Asian/Pacific Islanders, total American Indians and Hispanics. The best information available to date regarding the numbers of whites, blacks, Asian/Pacific Islanders, American Indians, and Hispanics comes from the 1990 US Census Modified Age Race Sex (MARS) file.

Goal:

To determine the number of Asian/Pacific Islanders, American Indians, white Hispanics, black Hispanics, Asian/Pacific Islander Hispanics, and American Indian Hispanics living in every town in Massachusetts by gender and five year age group for the calculation of rates.

Methods:

Assumption: the proportion in 1990 has remained the same in 199x

  1. Calculate the proportion of American Indians: Asian & Pacific Islanders & American Indians from the 1990 US Census for each town by gender and five year age group
    • Number of American Indians / Number of Asian & Pacific Islanders + Number of American Indians
  2. Apply the town/gender/age specific proportion to the 1991-1997 population of Asian & Pacific Islanders & American Indians to calculate the number of American Indians.
    • Number of Asian & Pacific Islanders and American Indians in 199x * proportion of American Indians: Asian & Pacific Islanders and American Indians)
  3. Subtract the number of American Indians calculated from step 2 from the combined Asian & Pacific Islanders and American Indians to obtain the number of Asian & Pacific Islanders in 199x. This step ensures a control total.
  4. For the town/age/gender cells for which no proportion can be calculated because the number of Asian & Pacific Islanders and American Indians =0, use the town total proportion.
  5. If a town does not have any Asian & Pacific Islanders or American Indians in 1990, but has at least one combined Asian & Pacific Islander and American Indian in 199x, then use the average of the town proportions in the contiguous towns to assign a proportion to the town in 199x.
  6. To assign Hispanics to a race category, calculate the proportion of Hispanics in 1990 who were white, black, Asian & Pacific Islander, and American Indian.
    • White Hispanics / Total Hispanics
    • Black Hispanics / Total Hispanics
    • Asian/Pacific Islander Hispanics / Total Hispanics
    • American Indian Hispanics / Total Hispanics
  7. Apply the proportion of black Hispanics, Asian & Pacific Islander Hispanics and American Indian Hispanics in 1990 to the number of Hispanics in 199x.
    • Number of Hispanics*proportion of black Hispanics
    • Number of Hispanics*proportion of Asian & Pacific Islander Hispanics
    • Number of Hispanics*proportion of American Indian Hispanics)
    • Subtract the number of black Hispanics + Asian/Pacific Islander Hispanics + American Indian
    • Hispanics from the total number of Hispanics to obtain the number of white Hispanics.
    • For the town/age/gender cells for which no proportion can be calculated because the number of Hispanics =0, use the town total proportion.)
  8. There were no towns which had zero Hispanics in 1990, but had greater than zero Hispanics in 199x. Therefore, it was not necessary to create a proportion for this scenario as it was for the Asian & Pacific Islanders and American Indians.
  9. Add the number of white Hispanics to the number of non-Hispanic whites, number of Hispanic blacks to non-Hispanic blacks, number of Hispanic Asian & Pacific Islanders to non-Hispanic Asian & Pacific Islanders and number of Hispanic American Indians to non-Hispanic American Indians
    • White Hispanic + white non-Hispanic
    • Black Hispanic + black non-Hispanic
    • Asian & Pacific Islander Hispanic + Asian & Pacific Islander non-Hispanic
    • American Indian Hispanic + American Indian non-Hispanic

This information is provided by the Division of Research and Epidemiology within the Department of Public Health.