Objectives : The aims of this paper were to develop the
composite deprivation index (CDI) for the sub-district (Eup-
Myen-Dong) levels based on the theory of social exclusion
and to explore the relationship between the CDI and the
standardized mortality ratio (SMR).
Methods : The paper calculated the age adjusted SMR
and we included five dimensions of social exclusion for
CDI; unemployment, poverty, housing, labor and social
network. The proxy variables of the five dimensions were
the proportion of unemployed males, the percent of
recipients receiving National Basic Livelihood Security Act
benefits, the proportion of households under the minimum
housing standard, the proportion of people with a low social
class and the proportion of single-parent household. All the
variables were standardized using geometric transformation
and then we summed up them for a single index. The paper
utilized the 2004-2006 National Death Registry data, the
2003-2006 national residents' registration data, the 2005
Population Census data and the 2005-2006 means-tested
benefit recipients' data.
Results : The figures were 115.6, 105.8 and 105.1 for the
CDI of metropolitan areas (big cities), middle size cities and
rural areas, respectively. The distributional variation of the
CDI was the highest in metropolitan areas (8.9 - 353.7) and
the lowest was in the rural areas (26.8 - 209.7). The extent
and relative differences of deprivation increased with
urbanization. Compared to the Townsend and Carstairs
index, the CDI better represented the characteristics of
rural deprivation. The correlation with the SMR was
statistically significant and the direction of the CDI effects
on the SMR was in accordance with that of the previous
studies.
Conclusions : The study findings indicated mortality
inequalities due to the difference in the CDI. Despite the
attempt to improve deprivation measures, further research
is warranted for the consensus development of a
deprivation index.