TABLE 4.

—Area-Based Socioeconomic Measures and Cutpoints Used in Data Analysis

	Selected Area-Based
Socioeconomic Measure	Operational Definition and Cut Points Used
Working class2 (categorical)	Percentage of persons employed in predominantly working class occupations (i.e., as nonsupervisory employees), operationalized as percentage of persons employed in the following 8 of 13 census-based occupational groups: administrative support; sales; private household service; other service (except protective); precision production, craft, repair; machine operators, assemblers, inspectors; transportation and material moving; handlers, equipment cleaners, laborers; cutpoints: C1 = 0%–49.9%, C2 = 50%–69.9%, C3 = 66%–74.9%, C4 = 75%–100%
Median household income (quintile)	Median household income in year before the decennial census (US in 1989: $30 056); cutpoints:
	Massachusetts BG: Q1 = $4999–$26 110, Q2 = $26 111–$33 749, Q3 = $33 750–$40 798, Q4 = $40 799–$49 903, Q5 = $49 904–$150 001
	Massachusetts CT: Q1 = $4999–$26 471, Q2 = $26 472–$33 162, Q3 = $33 163–$39 286, Q4 = $39 287–$47 124, Q5 = $47 125–$102 797
	Massachusetts ZC: Q1 = $9726–$30 624, Q2 = $30 625–$36 246, Q3 = $36 247–$41 396, Q4 = $41 397–$48 841, Q5 = $48 842–$94 898
Poverty (categorical)	Percentage of persons below federally defined poverty line, a threshold that varies by size and age composition of the household and, on average, equaled $12 647 for a family of 4 in 19899; cutpoints: C1 = 0%–4.9%, C2 = 5.0%–9.9%, C3 = 10.0%–19.9%, C4 = 20%–100%; areas with a poverty rate of ≥ 20% are federally defined poverty areas2
Low education (categorical)	Percentage of persons 25 years and older with less than a 12th grade education; cutpoints: C1 = 0%–14.9%, C2 = 15.0%–24.9%, C3 = 25.0%–39.9%, C4 = 40%–100%
Index of local economic resources29 (quintile)	A “summary index” used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and based on “white collar employment, unemployment, and family income”; cutpoints:
	Massachusetts BG: Q1 = 0–6, Q2 = 7–11, Q3 = 12–15, Q4 = 16–20, Q5 = 21–27
	Massachusetts CT: Q1 = 0–5, Q2 = 6–10, Q3 = 11–15, Q4 = 16–19, Q5 = 20–26
	Massachusetts ZC: Q1 = 0–8, Q2 = 9–12, Q3 = 13–15, Q4 = 16–19, Q5 = 20–26

Note. C = category; BG = block group; Q = quintile; CT = census tract; ZC = zip code.