A colleague of mine has posted this message. I thought some of the individuals on this discussion list might have some ideas in reply to his querry. Thanks Nancy Edwards U of Ottawa ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Sat, 10 Sep 1994 23:14:28 -0400 From: Alan Hotte <[log in to unmask]> To: Multiple recipients of list HEALTH-L <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Measures of Social Disadvantage: While not directly within what is usually considered the general mandate of health research a cluster of variables with a clear impact on health are those associated with being socially disadvantaged in some way. The challenge I face is to come up with a comprehensive index of social disadvantage for north americans. The variables involved are obvious (or are they?) such as education, income, number of dependants ... . I would appreciate any input about standards used to measure poverty and general social disadvantage taken from demographic information. I look forward to any input associated with the measurement of this cluster of variables. Thank You, Alan Hotte.