‘I didn't feel like any of those things were me’: results of a qualitative pilot study of race/ethnicity survey items with minority ethnic adolescents in the USA

OBJECTIVE: The present study is a qualitative exploration of the thought processes of minority ethnic adolescents in responding to standard epidemiologic survey questions about racial/ethnic group membership in the USA. DESIGN: Fifteen minority ethnic adolescents (ages 15-21) were enrolled in a pilot qualitative study using a cognitive processing interview technique to elicit their understanding and interpretation of race/ethnicity survey items. RESULTS: Findings from this pilot study indicated that racial/ethnic classification survey items commonly used in the USA were susceptible to a number of item performance problems, including participant confusion, and misreported or insufficient responses. Additionally, item wording elicited intense affective reactions among participants. Results suggest the need for careful review of current US race/ethnic classifications systems, as standard survey measures are likely to provide an incomplete demographic characterization of minority ethnic adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Recommendations are provided for improving procedures for collecting race and ethnicity data from youth in the USA.