To illustrate methods for comparing race data collected under the 1977 Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) directive, known as OMB‐15, with race data collected under the revised 1997 OMB standard.
Data Sources/Study Setting
Secondary data from the 1993–95 National Health Interview Surveys. Multiple‐race responses, available on in‐house files, were analyzed.
Race‐specific estimates of employer‐sponsored health insurance were calculated using proposed allocation methods from the OMB. Estimates were calculated overall and for three population subgroups: children, those in households below poverty, and Hispanics.
Although race distributions varied between the different methods, estimates of employer‐sponsored health insurance were similar. Health insurance estimates for the American Indian/Alaska Native group varied the most.
Employer‐sponsored health insurance estimates for American Indian/Alaska Natives from data collected under the 1977 OMB directive will not be comparable with estimates from data collected under the 1997 standard. The selection of a method to distribute to the race categories used prior to the 1997 revision will likely have little impact on estimates of employer‐sponsored health insurance for other groups. Additional research is needed to determine the effects of these methods for other health service measures.
