Current census categories are not a good match for identity

From trainee to consultant, BMJ Group offers doctors around the world tailored information, special events, learning resources and recruitment services at every step along their career path.

... by doctors, for doctors, for patients
We are open for entries!

Online learning

BMJ Learning

High-quality CME / CPD for doctors and other healthcare professionals. BMJ Learning features hundreds of accredited, peer-reviewed learning modules in text, video, and audio formats. Find out more

Courses and Qualifications

BMJ Masterclasses

BMJ Masterclasses, led by experts, help clinicians to use the latest evidence and recent guidelines in practice and meet their CPD/CME requirements. Find out more

Exam Preparation

The leading provider of online exam preparation, helping over 167,000 healthcare professionals to pass their exams. Find out more

onExamination

Search all BMJ comment articles:

From

Limit by

Access to the full text of this article requires a subscription or payment. Please log in or subscribe below.

Judith Rankin, Senior research associate (J.M.Rankin@newcastle.ac.uk),
Raj Bhopal, Bruce and John Usher professor of public health (rbhopal@srv1.med.ed.ac.uk)

Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, School of Health Sciences, Medical School, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4HH
Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh EH8 9AG

EDITOR—Pfeffer discusses the complexities of theories of race, ethnicity, and culture.1 Surveys in the United Kingdom (UK) rely on the census question that first appeared in the 1991 census (incorporating colour and country of origin2) to define ethnic groups. The Office of Management and Budget's classification is dominant in the United States.3 Does the menu of terms given to people included in such classifications offer a good choice? Using data from the south Tyneside heart study,4 we compared respondents' identification of their ethnicity using the census question, a description in an open question, country of birth, and country of family …