The Trump administration has proposed three substantial modifications to the decennial U.S. Census that would reshape how demographic information is collected and compiled. The proposed changes include removing questions about race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation from the census; excluding individuals who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents from the count; and modifying how the Census Bureau determines residency for populations such as college students and retirees who maintain multiple residences.
Social epidemiologist Nancy Krieger has raised concerns about the public health implications of these proposed changes. According to Krieger, race and ethnicity data serve critical functions in the U.S. health system, including tracking trends in morbidity and mortality across different populations and informing how federally funded programs determine eligibility for assistance and allocate resources to areas with the greatest need.
Krieger characterizes the census modifications as an unforced error, comparing the situation to tennis terminology. The changes would represent a significant departure from current census practices that have long been used to identify health disparities and direct public health interventions. The proposed alterations to the census methodology could have far-reaching consequences for researchers studying population health trends and for federal agencies responsible for distributing health-related funding and services to communities.
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