UC Berkeley-UC San Francisco Joint Medical Program, Berkeley, California, USA.
J Epidemiol Community Health. 2011 Mar;65(3):254-9. doi: 10.1136/jech.2008.084723. Epub 2010 May 3.
Mortality, incidence of most diseases, and prevalence of adverse health behaviours follow an inverse gradient with social class. Many proxies for socioeconomic status (SES) exist; however, each bears a different relation to health outcomes, probably following a different aetiological pathway. Additionally, data on SES can be quite difficult to gather. Five measures of SES were compared, including a novel measure, the HOUSES index, in the prediction of self-rated health (SRH) in two Midwestern settings, Olmsted County, Minnesota, and Jackson County, Missouri.
Using a probability sampling design, a cross-sectional telephone survey was administered to a randomised sample of households. The questionnaire collected a variety of sociodemographic and personal health information. The dependent variable, SRH, was dichotomised into excellent/very good/good versus fair/poor health. Information for the HOUSES index was collected through public property records and corroborated through the telephone questionnaire. Participants were parents/guardians of children aged 1-17 residing in Olmsted County (n = 746) and Jackson County (n = 704).
The HOUSES index was associated with adverse SRH in Jackson County adults. All five SES measures were significant predictors in this group. Composite SES indices showed significant associations with SRH in Olmsted County adults.
The HOUSES index makes a unique contribution to the measurement of SES and prediction of health outcomes. Its utility is qualified by specific social contexts, and it should be used in concert with other SES indices.
死亡率、大多数疾病的发病率和不良健康行为的流行程度与社会阶层呈反比。有许多社会经济地位（SES）的替代指标；然而，每个指标与健康结果的关系都不同，可能遵循不同的病因途径。此外，有关 SES 的数据可能相当难以收集。本研究比较了五种 SES 衡量指标，包括一种新的衡量指标 HOUSES 指数，用于预测明尼苏达州奥姆斯特德县和密苏里州杰克逊县两个中西部地区的自我报告健康（SRH）。
使用概率抽样设计，对随机抽取的家庭进行横断面电话调查。问卷收集了各种社会人口统计学和个人健康信息。因变量 SRH 分为优秀/非常好/好与一般/差。HOUSES 指数的信息通过公共财产记录收集，并通过电话问卷进行核实。参与者为居住在奥姆斯特德县（n = 746）和杰克逊县（n = 704）的 1-17 岁儿童的父母/监护人。
HOUSES 指数与杰克逊县成年人不良的 SRH 相关。在这个群体中，所有五种 SES 衡量指标都是显著的预测因素。综合 SES 指数与奥姆斯特德县成年人的 SRH 显著相关。
HOUSES 指数在 SES 测量和健康结果预测方面做出了独特的贡献。其效用受到特定社会背景的限制，应与其他 SES 指数一起使用。
