In modern multicultural societies, the topic of 'health and ethnicity' has become increasingly recognised as highly relevant. All too frequently, academic coverage of the topic has been scattered in specialist literature of different disciplines; a book bringing these perspectives together has so far been lacking.

1. Introduction Helen Macbeth and Prakash Shetty 2. Defining the Ethnic Group; Important and Impossible Helen Macbeth 3. Ethnicity and Race as Epidemiological Variables: Centrality of Purpose and Context Raj Bhopal 4. The Contribution of Socioeconomic Position to Health Differentials Between Ethnic Groups: Evidence from the US and Britain James Nazroo and George Davey Smith 5. Health: An Elusive Concept Gilbert Lewis 6. Human Inbreeding: A Familiar Story Full of Surprises Alan Bittles et al. 7. The Inherited Disorders of Haemoglobin David J. Weatherall 8. Genetic Variation and Ethnic Variablility in Disease Risk Ryk Ward 9. Approaches to Investigating the Genetic Basis of Ethnic Differences in Disease Risk Paul McKeigue 10. Diabetes, Ancestral Diets and Dairy Foods: An Evolutionary Perspective on Population Differences In Susceptibility to Diabetes Anthony J. McMichael 11. Variations in Health and Disease: Race, Ethnicity or 'Nutritional Transition'? Prakash Shetty 12. Ethnic Variation and Cardiovascular Disease Sonia S. Anand and Salim Yusuf 13. Ethnicity and the Risk of Cancer D. Max Parkin 14. 'Culture' in the Field of Race and Mental Health Roland Littlewood 15. Sexual Health and Ethnicity Kaye Wellings and K. A. Fenton 16. Challenges and Policy Implications of Ethnic Diversity and Health Rasaratnam Balarajan Bhopal, University of Edinburgh Medical School, James Nazroo, University College London, Gilbert Lewis, University of Cambridge, Allan Bittles, Edith Cowan University, David J. Weatherall, University of Oxford, Ryk Ward, University of Oxford, Paul McKeigue, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Anthony J. Mc Michael, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Prakash Shetty, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Max Parkin, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Roland Littlewood, University College London, Kaye Wellings, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, K.A. Fenton, London School of Hygeine and Tropical Medicin