Comparison of two area-level socioeconomic deprivation indices: Implications for public health research, practice, and policy

Kimberly A Rollings, Grace A Noppert, Jennifer J Griggs, Robert A Melendez and Philippa J Clarke

PLOS ONE, 2023, vol. 18, issue 10, 1-16

Abstract: Objectives: To compare 2 frequently used area-level socioeconomic deprivation indices: the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) and the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). Methods: Index agreement was assessed via pairwise correlations, decile score distribution and mean comparisons, and mapping. The 2019 ADI and 2018 SVI indices at the U.S. census tract-level were analyzed. Results: Index correlation was modest (R = 0.51). Less than half (44.4%) of all tracts had good index agreement (0–1 decile difference). Among the 6.3% of tracts with poor index agreement (≥6 decile difference), nearly 1 in 5 were classified by high SVI and low ADI scores. Index items driving poor agreement, such as high rents, mortgages, and home values in urban areas with characteristics indicative of socioeconomic deprivation, were also identified. Conclusions: Differences in index dimensions and agreement indicated that ADI and SVI are not interchangeable measures of socioeconomic deprivation at the tract level. Careful consideration is necessary when selecting an area-level socioeconomic deprivation measure that appropriately defines deprivation relative to the context in which it will be used. How deprivation is operationalized affects interpretation by researchers as well as public health practitioners and policymakers making decisions about resource allocation and working to address health equity.

Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0292281 (text/html)
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id= ... 92281&type=printable (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:plo:pone00:0292281

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292281

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in PLOS ONE from Public Library of Science
Bibliographic data for series maintained by plosone ().