Lay summary
This project develops the Index of Multiple Area-Level Disadvantage (IMALD), a contemporary measure of area-level disadvantage for New Zealand, which uses routine datasets and methods comparable to current international deprivation indices. The existing area-level measure of deprivation, the New Zealand Index of Deprivation (NZDep) uses census data and is heavily relied upon by researchers and policy analysts to measure the impact of socioeconomic deprivation on health outcomes. Administrative data routinely collected from various government agencies will be used to measure indicators of social, educational, economic, health and geographic accessibility disadvantage to create the IMALD. Unlike NZDep2006, the IMALD components can be used separately or as a combined index to investigate specific dimensions of disadvantage (e.g. income or education). The IMALD will be tested against a number of health outcomes, demonstrating its measurement of social gradients. This project will develop powerful resources for monitoring health and social determinants in New Zealand.