[A review on socioeconomic position indicators in health inequality research].
OBJECTIVE
Socioeconomic position (SEP) refers to the socioeconomic factors that influence which position an individual or group of people will hold within the structure of a society. In this study, we provide a comprehensive review of various indicators of SEP, including education level, occupation-based SEP, income and wealth, area SEP, life-course SEP, and SEP indicators for women, elderly and youth.


RESULTS
This report provides a brief theoretical background and discusses the measurement, interpretation issues, advantages and limitations associated with the use of each SEP indicator. We also describe some problems that arise when selecting SEP indicators and highlight the indicators that appear to be appropriate for health inequality research. Some practical information for use in health inequality research in South Korea is also presented.


CONCLUSIONS
Investigation into the associations between various SEP indicators and health outcomes can provide a more complete understanding of mechanisms between SEP and health. The relationship between specific SEP indicators and specific health outcomes can vary by country due to the differences in the historical, socioeconomic, and cultural contexts of the SEP indicators.
Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Health Services Research Center, Hallym University.
Yong-Jun
YJ
Choi
Baek-Geun
BG
Jeong
Sung-Il
SI
Cho
Kyunghee
K
Jung-Choi
Soong-Nang
SN
Jang
Minah
M
Kang
Young-Ho
YH
Khang
D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D012106:Research; D012923:Social Class