Abstract
Objectives
Visible minorities are a group categorized in health research to identify and track inequalities, or to study the impact of racialization. We compared classifications obtained from a commonly used measure (Statistics Canada standard) with those obtained by two direct questions—whether one is a member of a visible minority group and whether one is perceived or treated as a person of colour.
Methods
A mixed-methods analysis was conducted using data from an English-language online survey (n = 311) and cognitive interviews with a maximum diversity subsample (n = 79). Participants were Canadian residents age 14 and older.
Results
Agreement between the single visible minority item and the standard was good (Cohen’s Κ = 0.725; 95% CI = 0.629, 0.820). However, participants understood “visible minority” in different and often literal ways, sometimes including those living with visible disabilities or who were visibly transgender or poor. Agreement between the single person of colour item and the standard was very good (Κ = 0.830; 95% CI = 0.747, 0.913). “Person of colour” was more clearly understood to reflect ethnoracial background and may better capture the group likely to be targeted for racism than the Statistics Canada standard. When Indigenous participants who reported being persons of colour were reclassified to reflect the government definition of visible minority as non-Indigenous, this measure had strong agreement with the current federal standard measure (K = 0.851; 95% CI = 0.772, 0.930).
Conclusion
A single question on perception or treatment as a person of colour appears to well identify racialized persons and may alternately be recoded to approximate government classification of visible minorities.
Résumé
Objectifs
Les minorités visibles sont un groupe catégorisé dans la recherche en santé pour repérer et suivre les inégalités ou pour étudier les incidences de la racisation. Nous avons comparé les classifications obtenues d’un indicateur d’usage courant (norme de Statistique Canada) à celles obtenues par deux questions directes : la personne est-elle membre d’un groupe de minorité visible, et est-elle perçue ou traitée comme une personne de couleur?
Méthode
Une analyse à méthodes mixtes a été menée à l’aide des données d’un sondage en ligne en anglais (n = 311) et d’entretiens cognitifs avec un sous-ensemble à diversification maximale (n = 79). Les participants étaient des résidents canadiens de 14 ans et plus.
Résultats
La concordance entre l’élément « minorité visible » à lui seul et la norme était bonne (indice Kappa de Cohen = 0,725; IC de 95 % = 0,629, 0,820). Par contre, les participants ont interprété les mots « minorité visible » de façons différentes et souvent littérales, en comptant parfois les personnes visiblement handicapées, transgenres ou pauvres. La concordance entre l’élément « personne de couleur » à lui seul et la norme était très bonne (Κ = 0,830; IC de 95 % = 0,747, 0,913). L’expression « personne de couleur » était plus clairement comprise comme reflétant des antécédents ethnoraciaux et pourrait mieux saisir le groupe susceptible d’être la cible de racisme que la norme de Statistique Canada. Quand les participants autochtones qui disaient être des personnes de couleur ont été reclassifiés en fonction de la définition gouvernementale d’une minorité visible comme étant non autochtone, cet indicateur concordait très bien avec la norme fédérale actuelle (Κ = 0,851; IC de 95 % = 0,772, 0,930).
Conclusion
Une question unique sur la perception ou le traitement en tant que personne de couleur semble bien identifier les personnes racisées et pourrait sinon être recodée pour se rapprocher de la classification gouvernementale des minorités visibles.
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Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank Ayden Scheim for contributions to the survey design and Christoffer Dharma for assistance with data collection and for comments on an earlier draft.
Funding
Funding was provided by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Institute of Gender and Health (FRN 130489).
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Bauer, G.R., Mahendran, M., Braimoh, J. et al. Identifying visible minorities or racialized persons on surveys: can we just ask?. Can J Public Health 111, 371–382 (2020). https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-020-00325-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-020-00325-2