The percentage of the population by race/ethnicity categories.
Numerator
The number of persons in each race/ethnic category
Denominator
The total number of persons in the population.
Data Interpretation Issues
For non-White races, the Hispanic and non-Hispanic groups are combined. The non-Hispanic White population is reported as "White."
Hispanic persons who reported their race as "White" or "other" are reported in the "Hispanic" category. For a detailed discussion
of race and ethnicity reporting in the New Mexico Department of Health,please see the NMDOH Race and Ethnicity Reporting Standards.
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 2010 initiative.
Other Objectives
New Mexico's Community Health Status Indicators
How Are We Doing?
According to 2009 state population estimates, 43.4% of New Mexicans were White, and 41.3% were Hispanic. (The Hispanic category
does not include Black, American Indian or Asian or Pacific Islander populations.) The American Indian or Alaska Native population
comprise 11% of New Mexico's population; the Black or African American population made up 2.7%; and the Asian or Pacific Islander
population constituted another 1.7%. (Due to rounding, the percentages do not total 100%.)
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.
Community Health Assessment Program, New Mexico Department of Health, Epidemiology and Response Division, 1190 St. Francis Dr., P.O. Box 26110, Santa Fe, NM, 87502.
Contact Lois Haggard at Lois.Haggard@state.nm.us or by telephone at (505) 827-5274
The information provided above is from the New Mexico Department of
Health's NM-IBIS web site
(http://ibis.health.state.nm.us). The information published on this
website may be reproduced without permission. Please use the following
citation: "Retrieved Fri, 24 May 2013 22:08:31
from New Mexico Department of Health, Indicator-Based
Information System for Public Health Web site: http://ibis.health.state.nm.us".
