Page Last Updated: October 28, 2025
Basic Demographics Information🔗
sed_basic_demographicsWhen using HBCD data, all data users must agree to responsible use as described in the DUC. When conceptualizing studies, analyzing data, and communicating findings from studies that use variables such as race, ethnicity, country of origin, and socioeconomic data, it is critical to consider strategies to avoid stigmatization of any groups and perpetuating harmful biases.
Race and ethnicity are collected as a part of the HBCD protocol to reflect social experiences (i.e., representing social constructs), and should not be conceptualized as biological, natural, intrinsic, or fixed categories of people. In addition, researchers sometimes use race/ethnicity variables as a proxy for unmeasured social experiences or environmental exposures. HBCD measures a wide variety of social experiences and environmental exposures. In analyzing HBCD data, race/ethnicity should not be used as a proxy for measured variables.
Some participants reported challenges in answering certain questions, such as those related to race and ethnicity (e.g. options did not capture identity) and occupation (i.e. imperfect option for job type and number of hours).
Details🔗
Basic Demographics is a derived measure with information computed from:
- A subset of V01 Demographics (
sed_bm_demo) Social & Environmental Determinants domain instrument variables - Administrative screening records collected by HBCD Study staff, as reported by the birth parent, during the enrolment/screening process (e.g. the age and race/ethnicity of the pregnant study participant)
Basic Demographics are global, visit-agnostic variables that do not change over time and should be present and consistent across all Visits (V01, V02, etc.). However, if only V01 data for a given participant is included in the release (due to ongoing enrollment, participant withdrawal, etc.), then items about the child will be missing, as the child is not born until after the V01 visit (all variables about the child are available beginning with V02).
Variable Logic & Definitions🔗
Variable Logic🔗
Fields Reporting Age
Basic Demographics includes a unique set of fields reporting age compared to instrument data, including Maternal Age at V01 (MAV01), Maternal Age at Delivery (MAD), and Gestational Age at Delivery (GAD) of the child (defined in the table below). See the Age Variable Definitions section for a summary of all age-related variables across the release.
Combined Race and Ethnicity Variable Logic
With the exception of rc_mother_ethnoracial_aou_race_ethnicity (only constructed for the birth parent, following OMB standards as described in the table below), variables that combine race and ethnicity are constructed from separate race and ethnicity variables following current federal standards: if an individual is identified as Hispanic or Latino based on the response to the ethnicity item, they will be categorized as such, regardless of their race. In addition, individuals who select more than one race are categorized as "multiracial."
Multiracial Individuals: Aggregation By Ethnicity Vs Race
There are two combined race and ethnicity variables that aggregate multiracial individuals into subcategories by ethnicity (*_acs_by_multi_ethnicity) vs race (*_acs_by_multi_race). For aggregation by ethnicity, individuals are subcategorized into those who do and do not select Hispanic as one of their identities. For race, individuals are subcategorized into those who do and do not select Black/African American as one of their identities.
Variable Details🔗
| Construct | Variable Name | SourceAdministrative Records or V01 Demographics instrument | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maternal Age at V01 (MAV01) | mother_age_v01 |
Admin | Birth parent's age, obtained from the scheduled date of the V01 visit. Reported in years to two decimal places, with fractional years calculated by dividing the number of whole months (rounded down) by 12. |
| Maternal Age at Delivery (MAD) | mother_age_delivery |
Admin | Birth parent's age at the time of their child's delivery (date of birth). Reported in years to two decimal places, with fractional years calculated by dividing the total whole months (rounded down) by 12. |
| Gestational Age at Delivery (GAD) | gestational_age_delivery |
Admin | Age of the child at delivery calculated as the time elapsed between the first day of the birth parent’s LMPlast menstrual period and the child's date of birth. Reported in whole weeks, rounded down to the nearest week. |
| Child sex | sex |
Admin | Visit V02 onwardData are not collected prior to birth, i.e. at the prenatal V01 visit, and will be available starting at visit V02 |
| Child ethnicity | child_ethnicity |
Admin | ACS-standard ethnicity item. Visit V02 onwardData are not collected prior to birth, i.e. at the prenatal V01 visit, and will be available starting at visit V02 |
| Child race | child_race |
Admin | ACS-standard race item. Visit V02 onwardData are not collected prior to birth, i.e. at the prenatal V01 visit, and will be available starting at visit V02 |
| Child race and ethnicity combined - multiracial aggregation by Hispanic and non-Hispanic distinction | child_ethnoracial_acs_by_multi_ethnicity |
Admin | Individuals are assigned a single category, constructed from child_race and child_ethnicity, with subcategories for multiracial individuals based on ethnicity following the logic described under Variable Logic. Visit V02 onwardData are not collected prior to birth, i.e. at the prenatal V01 visit, and will be available starting at visit V02 |
| Mother combined race and ethnicity - multiracial category split into Hispanic and non-Hispanic groups | screen_mother_ethnoracial_acs_by_multi_ethnicity |
Admin | Individuals are assigned a single category, constructed from screening responses to separate race and ethnicity questions, with subcategories for multiracial individuals based on ethnicity following the logic described under Variable Logic. |
| Mother combined race and ethnicity - multiracial category split into Black and non-Black groups | screen_mother_ethnoracial_acs_by_multi_race |
Admin | Individuals are assigned a single category, constructed from screening responses to separate race and ethnicity questions, with subcategories for multiracial individuals based on race following the logic described under Variable Logic. |
| Mother race and ethnicity | rc_mother_ethnoracial_aou_race_ethnicity |
V01 Demo | Derived from single All of Us race and ethnicity item scored following OMB standards: Anyone identifying as Hispanic/Latino (alone or with another group) is categorized as Hispanic/Latino; all others as non-Hispanic. |
| Mother ethnicity | screen_mother_ethnicity |
Admin | Participant response to ACS item about ethnic identity collected during screening. |
| Mother race, multi-categorical | screen_mother_race |
Admin | Participant response to ACS item/question about racial identity collected during screening. |
| Mother race, indicator variables from screening | screen_mother_race_multi___{0 - 5} |
Admin | Indicator variables from ACS race question: 0 = White 1 = Black or African American 2 = American Indian or Alaskan Native 3 = Asian 4 = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 5 = Other race |
| Mother race, indicator variables from survey item | rc_mother_race___{0 - 7} |
V01 Demo | Indicator variables for responses to All of Us combined race and ethnicity question: 0 = American Indian or Alaskan Native 1 = Asian 2 = Black, African American, or African 3 = Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish 4 = Middle Eastern or North African 5 = Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander 6 = White 7 = None of these fully describe me |
| Mother education | rc_mother_education |
V01 Demo | Derived from sed_bm_demo_edu_001 |
| Total combined household income | rc_mother_income |
V01 Demo | Derived from sed_bm_demo_income_002 |
| Recruitment site | recruitment_site |
Admin | De-identified value reflecting recruitment sites |