Download citation:
BibTeX | RIS | EndNote | Medlars | ProCite | Reference Manager | RefWorks
Send citation to:

---

Payesh2010; 9: 137-144Accepted for publication: 1 July 2006[EPub a head of print-25 May 2010] Objective(s): Socio-Economic status of people which has an impressive effect on their health, is itself impressed by many other factors. This variable is measured as a basic variable in all health and medical researches. Till now, there has been no means in the country to assist researchers in this area. In the present research, it is tried to provide an accurate and precise index that its validity has been tested and assessed, so measurement of this variable would be very subtle in health and medical researches.Methods: This is a cross-sectional study and the study population is the households living in Tehran. One thousand households have been recruited in the study. For the reliability of "Internal Consistency", the questionnaire has been checked applying Chronbach's Alpha.The "Content Validity" of questionnaire has been considered and modified under the supervision of the related academic references and The "Construct Validity" has been calculated by "Factor Analysis" and "Principal Component Analysis". For determining, both Socio-Economic statuses in two and four strata scale "Summed Lickert Scale" have been applied. In order to determine Cut off Point, the overall score by using three points, 1st Quarter, Mean and 3rd Quarter, has been divided into four strata, the scores under 1st Quarter, between 1st Quarter and the Mean, between the Mean and 3rd Quarter, and above the 3rd Quarter are considered as Weak, Average, Good and Very good, respectively.Results: Facilities and leisure times (a=0.71), Householder and his spouse characteristics (a=0.67), property owner (a=0.66), income and expenses (a=0.34) showed the highest reliability. Reliability testing shows that the variables relating to facilities and leisure times comparing other variables have more correlation together. Making different changes on the weight of each groups of variables shows that at the most suitable condition, the result of reliability of all the variables stated in the questionnaire has been  a= 0.6 Correlation of those variables related to the householder education, house area, site value of the house, possessing personal car and personal computer has been more than other variables. Therefore, by applying the whole set of mentioned variables, the Index is defined briefly.Conclusion: A standard questionnaire has been designed by applying Reliability Analysis Method, in a way that generally each group of its questions and also different sections of it have appropriate Internal Consistency. Also by applying Principle Component Analysis Method a valid dichotomous variable based on the overall standard score has been made and each household can be placed on an upper or lower class of the Socio-Economic situation.

Keywords: Socio-Economic Status, Health, Standard Questionnaire, Tehran

Full-Text [PDF 231 kb]   (4884 Downloads)    

Add your comments about this article : Your username or Email:

---