Important Facts for Race and Ethnicity
Indicator Important Facts Report Options
Definition
The percentage of the population by race/ethnicity categories.
Numerator
Estimated number of persons in each race/ethnic category.
Denominator
The total number of persons in the population.
Why Is This Important?
New Mexico's population is very diverse, which sometimes leads to barriers to obtaining culturally-sensitive health care. Because of this and other social factors, there are real disparities in the health of New Mexicans of various race/ethnic groups. Reducing racial- and ethnically-based health disparities is an overarching goal of the U.S. Public Health Services/ Healthy People 2020 initiative.
What Is Being Done?
With our partners (the Governor, legislators, local and tribal governments, public and private organizations, health care providers, health care institutions and concerned New Mexicans), the New Mexico Department of Health is working to prevent disease, promote health, improve access to information and care, deliver appropriate care and develop strategies to reduce disparities where they exist.
Health Program Information
The data have been provided to DOH through a contract with the Geospatial and Population Studies (GPS) Program at the University of New Mexico. GPS Program estimates are considered the most accurate for New Mexico because they use local data (e.g., births, deaths, school enrollment). The GPS Program is the official source for population estimates for NM DOH analyses and reports. Their contract is generously supported by programs across the DOH.