The polychoric dual-component wealth index as an alternative to the DHS index: Addressing the urban bias.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The DHS wealth index - based on a statistical technique known as principal component analysis - is used extensively in mainstream surveys and epidemiological studies to assign individuals to wealth categories from information collected on common assets and household characteristics. Since its development in the late nineties, the index has established itself as a standard and, due to its ease of use, has led to a large and welcome increase in the analysis of inequalities. The index is, however, known to present some serious limitations, one being a bias towards patterns of urban wealth: the so-called "urban bias".

Methods

We use 10 data sets - 5 MICS (Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey), 4 DHS (Demographic and Health Survey) and one HBS (Household Budget Survey) -

SUBMITTER: Martel P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7897450 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature