Townsend deprivation vs Index of Multiple deprivation

Anna Jane Dreyer

Hello there, 

Most papers using UK Biobank data seem to have used the Townsend deprivation index and not the Index of Multiple Deprivation. I know there are different Indices of Multiple Deprivation for England, Scotland and Wales. But is there another reason for this preference? 

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    Melissa L The helpers that keep the community running smoothly. UKB Community team Data Analyst

    Hi Anna,

    Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) come from a UK government qualitative study of deprived areas in British local councils.

    Resource 6810 describes the sources used to obtain the IMD scores for UK Biobank participants and outlines the data cleaning performed.

    IMD scores are based on more factors than the Townsend index, and because IMD scores are calculated differently across England, Scotland, and Wales, the UK Biobank team published them separately without merging. 

    The Townsend Deprivation Index is based on 4 census variables:

    • Households without a car
    • Overcrowded households
    • Households not owner-occupied
    • Persons unemployed

    Whereas, for example, the IMD for England was based on 8 variables:

    • Index of Multiple Deprivation
    • Crime score
    • Education score
    • Employment score
    • Health score
    • Housing score
    • Income score
    • Living environment score

    For more details, please see the notes of category 76 on UK Biobank's showcase.

    As you have suggested, Townsend Deprivation Index is a single measure available on the full cohort and as such may be more convenient but we would love to hear insights from other researchers in the community on their preferences for one measure over the other.

    Thank you for using the forum,

    Melissa

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