Table 1 Summary of features, proxies, and metrics to identify the worst-off
From: How can health systems research reach the worst-off? A conceptual exploration
Worst off in health | Systematic disadvantage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
National level features or proxies | Possible metrics | National level features or proxies | Possible metrics |
 Low health achievement | Life expectancy, infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, other health indicators | Poverty; Domination | Gross domestic product data, Gross national product data, Multidimensional Poverty Index data |
 Low health security | Frequency of droughts, storms, flooding; Ranking on Fragile State Index | ||
 Long duration | Performance on health indicators for 5-10+ years | ||
 High within-country health inequality | Health and health system indicators—life expectancy, infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, access to particular health services—by gender, income, caste, education, geography, etc. | ||
Sub-national level features or proxies | Possible metrics | Sub-national level features or proxies | Possible metrics |
 Individual or community characteristics associated with poor health and/or social arrangements that create or entrench poor health | Substantial gap between health and health system indicators for sub-national population versus relevant comparator sub-national population shown by, for example, Lorenz curve, Concentration curve and index, and/or Slope and relative indices of inequality | Poverty; Domination; Lack of community capability | Below the poverty line data, Multidimensional Poverty Index data |