Ethnicity categories

The ethnicity categories used in the Micronutrient Calculator are the three largest in the US population. Ethnicity was selected by participants and based on the question "What race do you consider yourself to be? Please select one or more of these categories" from the NHANES survey demographic questionnaire. The standard US Census categories were provided for participants to select from, including White, Black/African American, Native American and Alaska Native. In addition, Latino participants were asked to identify what country their ancestors were from (Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Central/South American, or Other). As there are some differences in dietary patterns between different Latino groups, only the largest group, the Mexican Americans, was chosen for the Micronutrient Calculator, along with the White and Black/African American ethnicity categories.