Revised Socioeconomic Status Scales for the Year 2021

Abstract

Context: Most of the public health and medical research include economic and social status as one of the pertinent predictors for health-related variables at the individual or family level. Modified B. G. Prasad scale (1961) and Modified Kuppuswamy scale (1976) are two of the most widely used socioeconomic status scales in India for health and social research. The income ranges in these scales need a frequent update with a rapidly growing economy and changing consumption patterns with time. Aim: This study revised the Modified Kuppuswamy and B. G. Prasad scales by updating income ranges as per the latest consumer price index (CPI) numbers of industrial workers (IW) and latest base year (2016) extracted from the Labour Bureau, Government of India. Methodology of the Study: Multiplication and conversion factors were calculated using CPI-IW (base year 2016 = 100) and linking factor. Updated income ranges for the Modified Kuppuswamy scale were estimated after calculating the multiplication factor (MF) between the year 1976 and the present year, whereas linking factor 2.88 and MF 1.20 have been used to calculate the income limits for the Modified B. G. Prasad scale. Results: The updated income range of the Modified B. G. Prasad and Kuppuswamy scale was estimated to be 78.89 and 26.46 times the income range values of the original scales (1961 and 1976), respectively. Conclusion: This update is relevant and highly needed after the introduction of the latest series of the base year in 2020, without which the income ranges would have been overestimated if calculated with the previous series (Base year 2001 = 100).

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