What is Ethnicity and Ethnic Data Collection

What is Ethnicity?

Ethnicity is typically described as a measure of close cultural connection, as opposed to ‘race’, nationality or citizenship. It involves sharing certain background characteristics, such as a shared history, common ancestors, geographical origin, language, culture and religion. This provides people from an ethnic group with a distinct identity as seen by both themselves and others. Ethnicity is recognised as a protected ground under equality legislation in many countries, including Ireland.

Why is ethnicity an important factor in health?

Ethnicity plays a significant role in health because it is closely linked to a range of factors that influence health outcomes. These factors include genetics, cultural beliefs and practices, socioeconomic status, language, access to healthcare, and exposure to discrimination or marginalisation. People from minority ethnic groups can often experience poorer health outcomes than the rest of the population.

What is Ethnic Data Collection?

Ethnic Data Collection is the process of collecting, recording and analysing information (data) that we collect from patients or service users. Ethnic Data Collection helps to identify and measure if our health system is serving everyone equally and make sure that our services meet the needs of our diverse population.

Why do we collect ethnicity data?

Collecting ethnic data in healthcare is essential as it helps improve healthcare quality, ensure equity, show uptake, and address health inequalities among different ethnic groups. Often our services are designed for the majority population, resulting in minority ethnic groups not being able to access the services that they need. Understanding more about the ethnic groups in our population helps us as a health system to:

• Design interventions, services, and education campaigns to be culturally appropriate and effective
• Address barriers specific to each community
• Indicate the need for translation and interpreting services
• Provide a measurement of whether changes made to a service improves access and improve health outcomes for ethnic minority groups
• Identify genetic predispositions to certain diseases, as some ethnic groups are more prone to specific conditions
• Identify if discrimination, either direct or indirect, is occurring in the way that services are provided

What to record?

The Census of Population is carried out by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) every five years and has recorded ethnic or cultural background since 2006.

The HSE believes using census categories creates a standardised approach for collecting data.

Each HSE department should record the census categories on;

• ethnic group/background

and in addition record;

• language spoken

 It may also be useful for some services to collect;

• nationality
• religion

How to ask about Ethnicity?

Treat everyone the same

• Ask everybody the question, regardless of whether the answers seem obvious

Explain

• The purpose of collecting the data at the beginning and what it will be used for
• The benefits of Ethnic Data Collection
• That there are no consequences if they don’t answer the question

Demonstrate

• Good listening
• Communication skills