title: Developing a household survey tool for health equity: A practical guide in Islamic Republic of Iran.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An obvious gradient in health outcomes has been implicated in many evidences relating to social and economic factors. Proper data are requested to convince policy-makers calling for intersectoral action for health. Recently, I.R. of Iran has come up with 52 health equity indicators to monitor health equity through the country. Conducting regular surveys on 14 out of 52 national health equity indicators is needed to provide a basis for the health inequality analysis through the country. We aimed to introduce a survey tool and its related protocols on health equity indicators.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted through addressing the literature and expertise of health and demographic surveys at the national and international levels. Also, we conducted technical and consultative committee meetings, a final consensus workshop and a pilot study to finalize the survey tool.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We defined the study design, sampling method, reliable questionnaires and instructions, data collection and supervision procedure. We also defined the data analysis protocol on health equity indicators, generated from non-routine data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A valid and reliable tool, which could be employed at the national and sub-national levels, was designed to measure health equity in Iran. Policy-makers can use this survey tool to generate useful information and evidence to design appropriate required intervention and reduce health inequality across the country.
authors.affiliation: MD, MPH, Genetics Research Center, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran. beheshtianm@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beheshtian
authors.affiliation: PhD, Deputy for Public Health, Ministry of Health and Medical Education and Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. ardeshir.khosravi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ardeshir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Khosravi
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD, Office for Health Technology Assessment, Health Standards and Tarrifs, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran. olyaee@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Alireza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olyaeemanesh
authors.affiliation: MD, PhD, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. malek179@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Malekafzali
authors.affiliation: MD, Zoonosis Control Department, Center for Communicable Diseases, Tehran, Iran. shboesfahani@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Shirin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bonakdar Esfahani
authors.affiliation: MS, Office of Health Technology Assessment, Health Standards and Tariffs, Tehran, Iran. leila200565@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hosseiny Ghavamabad
authors.affiliation: MS, Center for Health Network Management, Tehran, Iran. m.saeide90@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Saeideh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aghamohammadi
authors.affiliation: BS, Center for Health Network Management, Tehran, Iran. nouri_shetab@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mahnaz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nouri
authors.affiliation: MS, Center for Health Network Management, Tehran, Iran. elaheh_kazemi@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Elaheh
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kazemi
authors.affiliation: MD, Department of Health Care Management, School of Management and Medical Informatics, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. mrzakeriir@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Mohammadreza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zakeri
authors.affiliation: BS, Office of Health Technology Assessment, Health Standards and Tariffs, Tehran, Iran. fatemeh_sagha@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sagha
keywords: Health Equity; Health Status Indicator; Health Survey; Iran