Table 1.

Assessment of Utility of Outcomes for Monitoring Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health Status Using Critical Appraisal Criteria

	Outcome Category
	A. Mortality Based
Criterion	All-Cause Mortality (age < 75)	CHD Mortality (age 45 to 74)	Alcohol-Related Mortality (age 45 to 74)	Total Cancer Mortality (age 45 to 74)	Healthy Life Expectancy at Birth	B. Hospitalizations (for Condition of Interest)	C. Natality (LBW rate)	D. Total Cancer Incidence (age < 75)	E. Mental Health and Well-being
1. Epidemiological
Completeness and accuracy of reporting	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Clear relevance to known social determinants of health	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	?
Reversibility/sensitivity to intervention	? (see text)	? (see text)	? (see text)	? (see text)	? (see text)	? (see text)	✗ (see text)	? (see text)	? (see text)
Avoidance of reverse causation	✓	✓	✗ (see text)	?	✓	? (if chronic disability precedes admission)	✓	✓	? (see text)
Statistical appropriateness (e.g., use of RII, lumping of heterogeneous outcomes)	✓	✓	✗ (use of RII)	✗ (lumping all cancer sites)	✓	✓	✓	✗ (lumping all cancer sites)	✓
2. Communication
Clarity for nonscientists	✓	✓	✓	✗ (obscures cancer sites’ mixed picture)	?	? (for acute CHD)	✗	✗ (obscures cancer sites’ mixed picture)	? (what does it mean?)
Unintended side effects	✓	✗ (RII trend message)	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	?

Notes: ✓= no concerns /meets criterion; ✗= major concerns /criterion not met; ?= uncertain.