[영문]Objectives. We compared data on race as reported by the mother on NorthCarolina birth certificates with data on race in officially reported statistics. We alsodetermined to what extent differences in the classification of race affect measuresof racial disparity in maternal and child health indicators.Methods. We examined how data on race are collected, coded, and tabulated inNorth Carolina via live birth certificates, death certificates, the Behavioral RiskFactor Surveillance System (BRFSS) telephone survey, and the Central CancerRegistry case records. We showed how the data on race collected through NorthCarolina birth and death certificates are translated into 10 fixed racial categoriesdesignated by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) for use in officialvital statistics. We compared race as reported by the mother on birth certificates toracial tabulations used in the official published birth statistics. We also examined towhat extent differences in the determination of race affect measures of racialdisparity in maternal and child health indicators.Results. Out of nearly 118,000 live births in North Carolina in 2002, mothersreported more than 600 different versions of race on birth certificates. These entrieswere collapsed into the 10 standard racial categories outlined in federal codingrules. Approximately two-thirds of mothers of Hispanic ethnicity report their racewith a label that can be categorized as “Other” race, but nearly all of these birthsare re-coded to “white” for the official birth statistics. Measures of racial disparityvary depending on whether self-reported or officially coded race is used.Conclusions. This study shows that, given the opportunity to report their own race,North Carolinians describe their race using a wide variety of terms and concepts. Incontrast, health statistics are usually reported using a few standardized racialcategories defined by federal policy. The NCHS rules for coding race should bereexamined. As the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States continues toincrease, these rules will become increasingly antiquated.