Online tool for cross-sectional and longitudinal comparison of socio-economic status indices based on postcodes in Australia.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Socio-economic status (SES) is strongly associated with health outcomes, yet it remains relatively difficult to measure, particularly for longitudinal comparisons.

Aim

We have developed an interactive online tool (available at bit.ly/SEIFA-POA) that facilitates SES assessment based on postcodes (POA).

Methods

By utilising percentiles of socio-economic indices for areas (SEIFA) derived from postcode-based rankings across Australia, this tool enables comparisons of SEIFA indices provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) censuses from 1986 through to 2021. A percentile-based methodology preserves the relative socio-economic position of areas over time, thereby circumventing the methodological inconsistencies inherent in SEIFA calculations across different census periods. The tool simplifies SES assessment, offering researchers and policymakers a practical solution for both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies.

Results

In 6051 participants of the Fenofibrate Intervention and Event Lowering in Diabetes (FIELD) trial from Australia, we demonstrated that favourable SES is associated with a lower frequency of vascular complications in the participants' medical history. The absence of an observed association between SES and on-trial complications may be attributed to the relatively short 5-year average time horizon of the analysis.

Conclusion

Our SES assessment tool provides a more nuanced understanding of SES disparities and their implications for health and well-being.

SUBMITTER: Januszewski AS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12347315 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature