. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2023 Mar 1.

Published in final edited form as: Prostate Cancer Prostatic Dis. 2021 Sep 2;25(3):397–402. doi: 10.1038/s41391-021-00451-z

Table 2.

Challenges in using race in medical research

Concept	Key Issue
Racial/ethnic identity is multi-layered and complex	Potential for measurement error in using self-reported race as a proxy for genetic ancestry
Distinguishing between race/ethnicity as a risk factor or a risk marker	Race itself is not a cause of disease. Need to be specific in the causal question
Avoiding contributing to racial/ethnic division of society	Highlighting race can reinforce stereotypes and exacerbate racism