Study highlights Native health data gaps, equity efforts in North Carolina

Native Americans are frequently misidentified in public health records, leading to undercounts in disease and mortality data, according to reporting by WUNC that cites a JAMA study. The study found that death certificates more often misclassify Native identity in cases involving cancer or heart disease than in deaths caused by drugs, alcohol or violence.

The data gaps impact public health responses, according to Lumbee citizen Ryan Dial, a program manager at University of North Carolina’s American Indian Health Center and Lineberger Cancer Center. “Public health action is driven by data,” Dial told WUNC. “People look at incidence rates and mortality rates of Native communities and assume, ‘Oh, there's not a disparity there. There's not a problem. We can move on.’”