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The use of ‘South Asian’ ethnic categorization was investigated to determine if there is consistency in its use in health research in Canada. Quantitative content analysis and a secondary qualitative content analysis were carried out on articles retrieved from a systematic review of Canadian health research conducted on ‘South Asians’ from 2005 to 2012. About 22% of articles (n = 31) examining South Asian health in Canada failed to include an explicit definition of ‘South Asian’. The failure to use a consistent operationalized definition throughout the study and the inappropriate application of findings to the relevant South Asian subpopulations were the major problems noted in the literature. Given the contextuality and fluidity of ethnic identity, the authors recommend the consistent use of explicit definitions of the specific subgroup of interest and that findings based on specific subgroups not be applied to the ‘South Asian community’ at large. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]