The Statistics in Epidemiology Section

Policy Statement for Minority Health
The American Statistical Associations Section on Statistics in Epidemiology1

I. Introduction:

The American College of Epidemiology (referred to as ACE) recently approved a set of principles and actions regarding minority health and epidemiologic approaches. ACE has disseminated these guidelines and policies to a variety of related organizations, including the Society for Epidemiologic Research, the American Public Health Association and others, requesting them to take similar actions.

The American Statistical Associations (referred to as ASA) Section of Statistics in Epidemiology (referred to as Section) was one of the organizations which received the ACE guidelines and was asked to respond by naming a Section liaison to ACE in the area of minority health, and establishing policies and guidelines similar to the ACE documents.

II. ASA Mission:
 

The mission of ASA bears directly on concerns related to statistics and human welfare:

"The objectives of the American Statistical Association are to foster statistics and its applications, to promote unity and effectiveness of effort among all concerned with statistical problems, and to increase the contributions of statistics to human welfare." (ASA Constitution, Article II.)

ASA has taken important steps to include, utilize, and advance all of its members, including minorities through the formation of the Committee on Minorities, the Caucus for Women in Statistics, the Committee on Career Development, and the Committee on Gay and Lesbian Statisticians. Adtitionally, other units of ASA have also taken specific actions such as the Section's 1994 and 1996 invited sessions on minority health, and establishment of a Section liaison with the ACE's Committee on Minority Health Affairs.

III. Section Mission:
 

The mission of the Section also has bearing on the substantive issue of minority health and methodological issues in public health epidemiology:

"The special interests of the Statistics in Epidemiology Section are to promote both sound statistical practice in epidemiology and discussion of substantive issues in public health and to promote research methodology in this area." (Statistics in Epidemiology Section Charter, Article II.)

 

"To promote interdisciplinary communication and cooperation, not only among statisticians working within epidemiology but also between statisticians working in epidemiology and other scientists (and managers), in finding solutions to public health problems." (Epidemiology Section Charter, Article II.1.b.)

as well as other related objectives in the Sections Charter.

IV. Recommendations:
 

To enhance the ability of the Section to contribute to the epidemiology of American public health, the following recommendations are proposed to the Section and other sections that possess the same interests:

1. That the Section send a letter to ACE formally endorsing its actions and Statement of Principles.

 

2.a. That the Section formally adopt a Statement of Principles, similar to the ACE statement, that recognizes the importance of minority health for public health and the need for racial, ethnic and cultural diversity in the professions of statistics and epidemiology and in the membership of the Section including the leadership and on all of its committees.

 

2.b. That this Statement be published in the AMSTAT News and the Statistics in Epidemiology Section Newsletter, and that discussion of it by ASA members be encouraged.

 

3.a. That organizers of and participants in Section-sponsored activities at the Joint Statistical Meetings, Eastern North American Region (ENAR) and Western North American Region (WNAR) of the International Biometric Society, and other Section sponsored events continue to reflect the great racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity of our society.

 

3.b. That Section-sponsored sessions and the Statistics in Epidemiology Section Newsletter regularly include coverage of statistical issues concerning health of racial/ethnic groups, particularly those who carry an excess burden of disease or disability.

 

3.c. That Section-sponsored sessions include speakers from a variety of racial, ethnic, and other less represented and/or vulnerable groups.

 

4. That the Section work actively with other units of ASA (such as the Committee on Minorities, the Nominations Committee, the Committee on Career Development, the Council of Sections) to make the membership more knowledgeable on the need for input, fairness, and equal opportunity at all levels of an organization.

 

5. That the Ad Hoc Committee on Minority Health Affairs be made a Standing Committee of the Section, to contribute to the realization of the Statement of Principles and to review progress and that its Committee Chair be a member of the Statistics in Epidemiology Section Executive Committee.

 

6. That the Section Committee on Minority Health Affairs be empowered to establish and maintain liaisons with the ASA Committee on Minorities and related societies, including the Society for Epidemiologic Research, the Epidemiology Section of the American Public Health Association, the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention, the American Cancer Society and other federal, state, and private agencies that may be concerned with or have an impact on the health of minorities.

 

7. That the Section work to facilitate the adoption of similar statements and policies by other units of ASA and by ASA as a whole.