Developing a household socioeconomic status index tool for health studies in Iran: An analytic hierarchy process approach

Background: Socioeconomic status (SES) is a criterion consisting of several components that encompass socioeconomic and cultural dimensions. This study aimed to design and develop a methodological guideline for calculating a single summary index (SSI) using the contributing variables of SES in a family unit. Methods: The data consisted of 18700 urban and 19200 rural households. Effective components of SES were extracted using two-step factor analysis and the structural equational modeling (SEM) method for both populations separately with AMOS software. Then, in order to customize and validate the weight of each component, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method was performed by a panel of experts. Finally, the SES index computational tool was developed as an SSI using all effective components by Excel software. Statistical analysis was done with SPSS software version 21. Results: In rural areas, the four wealth components of education, job, income, and family size were recognized as effective socioeconomic factors. Yet, in urban areas, family size was disregarded as an effective factor. In both rural and urban communities the three welfare components of appropriate nutrition, appropriate home appliance, and appropriate housing were similarly effective. The SES of rural population had a homogeneous distribution, while urban population did not follow a particular trend. Conclusion: The SES index impacts all aspects of life, especially health status. The introduced method is comprehensive and applicable to both rural and urban populations. Due to ever-changing lifestyles, constant technological advances, and sociopolitical changes in each society, the tool requires modification in a specific time intervals.