This paper summarizes a study that examined the availability and quality of local data on the health of American Indians and Latinos in the City of Lansing, MI, and compared these populations to Whites and Blacks. Comprehensive databases on health (specifically morbidity and mortality), environment, demographics, and spatial distribution were gathered and analyzed for these populations. Our study found that current local data are inadequate for proper population assessment, specifically in the areas of data quality, data scale, and data storage. Using the existing data with its limitations, we completed descriptions for these two populations and made suggestions for continued research.

View PDF