The proposed model, unlike classical methods, has a non-binary view to deprivation, assigns a degree to deprivation for mitigating its negative effects, can be used for proper future planning, and is generic so that it can be easily applied to other cases as well.
7) Social deprivation – The Carstairs social deprivation score assigned to postcodes for all residents of Tayside, is derived from the decennial census, incorporating the variables, housing density, car ownership, social class of the head of household and male unemployment [ 18].
Socioeconomic status was measured by deprivation scores assigned according to the New Zealand Deprivation Index, an area-based measure of socioeconomic position derived from the 5-year Census of Population and Dwellings (19).
An index of multiple deprivation (IMD) score, using the English Indices of Deprivation (http://data.gov.uk/dataset/index-of-multiple-deprivation), was assigned to each participant based on their home postcode linked to the respective lower layer super output area.
Controls, selected from non-pilot Health Boards, were matched by age, gender, and deprivation and assigned the invitation date of matched invitee.
Although a measure of socio-economic deprivation is assigned to each patient, within a multilevel modelling framework these scores impact (correctly) at the area-level, avoiding the problem of the ecological fallacy [ 7].
Deprivation quintiles were assigned based on these LSOAs using the income domain of the Indices of Deprivation 2007 [ 18].
Our main measure of deprivation was the Townsend Index, a composite small-area ecological measure of deprivation, which was assigned to couples based on their postal code at start of follow up and summarized as quintiles based on national ranking (15).
Deprivation categories were assigned using the postcode sector of residence in 2001, which provides the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD).
