Comparing Income Indicators in Health Research
Author Information
Author(s): Nkosi Thomas Matukala, Parent Marie-Elise, Siemiatycki Jack, Pintos Javier, Rousseau Marie-Claude
Primary Institution: Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS)-Institut Armand-Frappier
Hypothesis
Can residential property values serve as a better indicator of individual material circumstances compared to median census tract income?
Conclusion
A residential value index may provide a measure of material circumstances that is closer to self-reported household income than the commonly used census income.
Supporting Evidence
- Perfect concordance was observed for 38% of subjects comparing residential value index to self-reported household income.
- Very good concordance was observed for 76% of subjects when comparing residential value index to self-reported household income.
- Weighted Kappa values showed stronger agreement for residential value index than for census income.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well property values and census income match what people say their income is. It found that property values are often a better way to understand people's financial situations.
Methodology
Data from a case-control study conducted in Montreal from 1996 to 2002 was analyzed, focusing on 676 residents for whom three income indicators were available.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to selective response to the household income question.
Limitations
Self-reported household income may be inaccurate, and the study only included residents of the Island of Montreal.
Participant Demographics
The sample included 177 men and 499 women, with a majority being of French ancestry and born in Canada.
Statistical Information
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 0.32-0.42 for residential value index agreement
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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