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GeoSES: A socioeconomic index for health and social research in Brazil

Author

Listed:
  • Ligia Vizeu Barrozo
  • Michel Fornaciali
  • Carmen Diva Saldiva de André
  • Guilherme Augusto Zimeo Morais
  • Giselle Mansur
  • William Cabral-Miranda
  • Marina Jorge de Miranda
  • João Ricardo Sato
  • Edson Amaro Júnior

Abstract

The individual’s socioeconomic conditions are the most relevant to predict the quality of someone’s health. However, such information is not usually found in medical records, making studies in the area difficult. Therefore, it is common to use composite indices that characterize a region socioeconomically, such as the Human Development Index (HDI). The main advantage of the HDI is its understanding and adoption on a global scale. However, its applicability is limited for health studies since its longevity dimension presents mathematical redundancy in regression models. Here we introduce the GeoSES, a composite index that summarizes the main dimensions of the Brazilian socioeconomic context for research purposes. We created the index from the 2010 Brazilian Census, whose variables selection was guided by theoretical references for health studies. The proposed index incorporates seven socioeconomic dimensions: education, mobility, poverty, wealth, income, segregation, and deprivation of resources and services. We developed the GeoSES using Principal Component Analysis and evaluated its construct, content, and applicability. GeoSES is defined at three scales: national (GeoSES-BR), Federative Unit (GeoSES-FU), and intra-municipal (GeoSES-IM). GeoSES-BR dimensions showed a good association with HDI-M (correlation above 0.85). The model with the poverty dimension best explained the relative risk of avoidable cause mortality in Brazil. In the intra-municipal scale, the model with GeoSES-IM was the one that best explained the relative risk of mortality from circulatory system diseases. By applying spatial regressions, we demonstrated that GeoSES shows significant explanatory potential in the studied scales, being a compelling complement for future researches in public health.

Suggested Citation

  • Ligia Vizeu Barrozo & Michel Fornaciali & Carmen Diva Saldiva de André & Guilherme Augusto Zimeo Morais & Giselle Mansur & William Cabral-Miranda & Marina Jorge de Miranda & João Ricardo Sato & Edson , 2020. "GeoSES: A socioeconomic index for health and social research in Brazil," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(4), pages 1-17, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0232074
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232074
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    1. Barrozo, Ligia Vizeu & Serafim, Mirela Barros & Gomes, Lucas Antonio Cividanes & Uhrigshardt, Gabriela Guimarães & Martins, Nathália Ferraz Alonso & Oliveira, Thalita Ferreira de & Resende, João Franc, 2024. "Targeting the “poorest of the poor”: A multi-scale approach," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    2. Hugo-Alejandro Santa Ramírez & Andrés-Felipe Ramírez-Giraldo & Hugo Pilkington & Carme Borrell & Gabriel-Jaime Otálvaro-Castro, 2025. "Precarity in the Modes of Living: Proposing an Index for Studying Health Inequities at the Ecological Level in Colombia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(4), pages 1-23, April.
    3. Guilherme Augusto Zimeo Morais & João Luiz Miraglia & Bruno Zoca de Oliveira & Sóstenes Mistro & Wilian Hiroshi Hisatugu & Djeniffer Greffin & Clément Bernardo Marques & Eduardo Pontes Reis & Hugo Mar, 2023. "Factors associated with the quality of death certification in Brazilian municipalities: A data-driven non-linear model," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 18(8), pages 1-16, August.

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