The Use of Socioeconomic Status in Health Research Exemplified in Back Pain: A Systematic Review

Objectives To determine the indicators of SES used in socio-epidemiological studies regarding back pain and the frequency with which they are used, the justification for their use, and systematic differences in the results depending on the indicators used. Methods To answer these questions a systematic literature review was conducted. Results 13 articles met all inclusion criteria. Education was used most often as an indicator of SES, followed by income, job level, job category and multidimensional index. 8 studies used more than one indicator. The selection of indicators was justified in only 2 studies included in the present review. When compared, the effect sizes of the used indicators showed no consistent results. Conclusions The usefulness of SES as global measurement remains questionable. The results of this study suggest that it is better to name each indicator used and to make no assumptions beyond these indicators.