Measuring socioeconomic status/position in studies of racial/ethnic disparities: maternal and infant health.

摘要: OBJECTIVE: Theoretical and empiric considerations raise concerns about how socioeconomic status/position (abbreviated here as SES) is often measured in health research. The authors aimed to guide the use of two common indicators, education income, studies racial/ethnic disparities low birthweight, delayed prenatal care, unintended pregnancy, breastfeeding intention. METHODS: Data from a statewide postpartum survey California (N = 10,055) were linked birth certificates. Overall by race/ethnicity, examined: (a) correlations among several measures income; (b) associations between each SES measure indicator; (c) indicators "adjusting" for different measures. RESULTS: Education-income moderate varied race/ethnicity. Racial/ethnic with measure, was specified, indicator. CONCLUSIONS: Conclusions role race/ethnicity could vary measured. Education not an acceptable proxy income ethnically diverse populations childbearing women. generally should be outcome- population-specific, chosen on explicit conceptual grounds; researchers test multiple theoretically appropriate consider conclusions might Researchers recognize difficulty measuring interpret findings accordingly.