Improving Data Disaggregation Standards for Asian Americans

Problem

Important disparities within the Asian American population are masked when data are aggregated too broadly.

Identifying and addressing differences in health outcomes and other areas of well-being requires accurate, valid, reliable, and appropriately stratified data. When data about population groups are too broad, researchers and policymakers may not be able to tailor their efforts to meet the varying needs of different communities.

For Asian Americans—a population that consists of dozens of cultures and ethnicities—breaking down high-level data is essential to ensure that research, policies, and programs aimed at meeting their needs can be targeted appropriately. There are substantial disparities among Asian American subgroups in many areas of well-being, such as income and poverty levels and certain health conditions that are less visible when data are aggregated too broadly. By improving data disaggregation standards for Asian Americans, researchers, policymakers, and program planners can better target resources to the communities that most need them.

Solution

NORC and its community partners are leading a participatory approach to develop community-informed disaggregation standards for data on Asian Americans.

NORC and its partners, the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum and Stop AAPI Hate, are leading a participatory, mixed-method research approach to develop recommendations for how data on the Asian American population can be disaggregated into meaningful subgroups. We are:

Analyzing secondary qualitative data on sociocultural and historical factors to inform draft recommendations
Analyzing secondary quantitative data related to health and well-being to inform draft recommendations
Gathering community input on draft recommendations’ acceptability and feasibility through a series of listening sessions

By ensuring the recommendations are evidence-based and community-informed, the recommendations will support research that generates more accurate, valid, and reliable data and policies and programs that are better targeted and more effective.

Result

Final recommendations will focus on practical use in research and programs affecting Asian Americans.

NORC will develop a final report to share the recommended data disaggregation standards and practical considerations for their application in research, policies, and programs; and a fact sheet for community members.

Support for this grant is provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Foundation.