Table 2 Racial/ethnic classification terms from the NIH inclusion enrolment report and types of classification they appear to represent*
Classification termType of classification
Hispanic or LatinoLanguage
American Indian/Alaska NativeAncestral group/ancestral group and geographic origin
AsianContinental origin
Native Hawaiian or Pacific IslanderAncestral group or geographic origin
Black or African AmericanSkin colour or continental ancestral origin & geographic region
WhiteSkin colour

  • NIH, National Institute for Health. *Terms are from NIH’s Inclusion Enrolment Report Form: PHS 416-1/416-9 (Rev. 10/05). The labels used for “types of classification” are meant to be descriptive and are based on a consensus amongst our project team, in consultation with the Random House Unabridged English Dictionary, 2006.