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Measures of social class based on education for use in health studies in developing countries.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Zurayk, H; Halabi, S; Deeb, M
Published in: J Epidemiol Community Health
June 1987

In this paper we consider the appropriateness of education, compared to occupation and income, as a measure of social class for use in health-related studies in developing societies in transition. Three evaluation criteria were used, namely, the feasibility of constructing the measure, its sensitivity in reflecting relevant social class life conditions, and its ability to produce a family-level measure of social class. We used two data sets from community health surveys in areas of Amman city, Jordan, and in Beirut city, Lebanon, to define a family-based average educational score. We then proceeded, using the Beirut data, to test the score's ability to discriminate social class effects on family health, compared to a more standard representation based on the educational level of the head of the family. It was found that the performance of the average educational score was often better than, but not consistently superior to, the educational level of the head of the family.

Duke Scholars

Published In

J Epidemiol Community Health

DOI

ISSN

0143-005X

Publication Date

June 1987

Volume

41

Issue

2

Start / End Page

173 / 179

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Class
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Occupations
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Male
  • Lebanon
  • Jordan
  • Humans
  • Health Surveys
  • Female
 

Citation

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Zurayk, H., Halabi, S., & Deeb, M. (1987). Measures of social class based on education for use in health studies in developing countries. J Epidemiol Community Health, 41(2), 173–179. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.41.2.173
Zurayk, H., S. Halabi, and M. Deeb. “Measures of social class based on education for use in health studies in developing countries.J Epidemiol Community Health 41, no. 2 (June 1987): 173–79. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech.41.2.173.
Zurayk H, Halabi S, Deeb M. Measures of social class based on education for use in health studies in developing countries. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1987 Jun;41(2):173–9.
Zurayk, H., et al. “Measures of social class based on education for use in health studies in developing countries.J Epidemiol Community Health, vol. 41, no. 2, June 1987, pp. 173–79. Pubmed, doi:10.1136/jech.41.2.173.
Zurayk H, Halabi S, Deeb M. Measures of social class based on education for use in health studies in developing countries. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1987 Jun;41(2):173–179.

Published In

J Epidemiol Community Health

DOI

ISSN

0143-005X

Publication Date

June 1987

Volume

41

Issue

2

Start / End Page

173 / 179

Location

England

Related Subject Headings

  • Social Class
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Occupations
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Male
  • Lebanon
  • Jordan
  • Humans
  • Health Surveys
  • Female