Derivation of three occupational status measures in young Black women: the study of environment, lifestyle, and fibroids

Abstract

Socioeconomic Status (SES), a complex, multidimensional construct, is commonly assessed using education or combinations of education, income, and/or occupation. Though epidemiological studies tend to collect occupational data, focus on occupation-based SES measures has been limited. We describe a method to process and derive occupational status measures and then compare them for application in epidemiological research. Using US Census Bureau’s Industry and Occupational Codes to standardize self-reported baseline occupational and industry data for 1053 Black/African American participants in the Study of Environment, Lifestyle & Fibroids, we derived 3 established occupational status measures: Hauser Warren Socioeconomic Index (HWSEI), Nam-Powers-Boyd Occupational Status Score (NPBOSS90) and Nakao-Treas Prestige Score (PRENT). All 3 scores range from 0 to 100 where higher scores reflect higher status. Participants averaged in age of 29 years with 62% employed at baseline, most commonly in Customer Service. Median scores varied across Hauser Warren Socioeconomic Index (30.3), Nam-Powers-Boyd Occupational Status Score (43.2), and PRENT (41.7). The occupational status derivation process contributes to epidemiological methods by providing guidance to those seeking to elucidate the SES-health relationship beyond merely income or education. If education and income are already being collected, PRENT, which does not incorporate these factors, may offer unique insights.