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Newton G. Osborne, MD, PhD
Creighton University Omaha, Neb

Marvin D. Feit, PhD
University of Akron (Ohio)

JAMA. 1992;267(23):3151.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

In Reply.

—We agree that in our society there is a relationship between race and socioeconomic status. It does not follow that this relationship converts race into the best variable to describe and analyze health outcomes. However, when properly used, race can be a valid research category. We devote a substantial part of our article to making precisely this point. We recognize that there may be compelling reasons for analyzing the effects of race on health. However, researchers must be able to explain why racial data are pertinent and to prove that the methods used address the hypotheses they intend to test. Those unable to do so are likely to be gathering meaningless or inappropriate data. The concept that theory inspires data and that data adjudicate theory is basic in research.

Yes, there may be racial differences in drug metabolism and in the incidence of cancer among Asian Americans, blacks, . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

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