Factors DETR
The original factors used for the DETR Index of Multiple Deprivation were extensive and complex (using 32 variables to determine levels of deprivation). Much of our analysis was modeled after the literature submitted by Hamard, through working from within the British Columbia Beyond 20/20 Census Database and Human Resources Canada information. We incorporated the same factors as the DETR IMD 2000, although substitutions were made concerning the variables that went into each factor. A minimum of two variables per factor were included. The variables include:

Income: (A) The total income of a census family is the sum of the total incomes of all members of that family. (B) Persons who, during the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 15, 2001), were without paid work or without self-employment work and were available for work (Statistics Canada, 2001).

Variables included:

·      Average Income for the total population over 15 years of age;

·      Composition of the total Income in 2000 (20% sample);

·      Composition of the total Income earned in 2000 (20% sample);

·      Population 15 years and over in private households with no children at home;

·      Number of populations 15 years and over in private households with no children at home who are unemployed;

·      Population 15 years and over in private households with children at home;

·      Number of populations 15 years and over in private households with children at home who are unemployed

 

Income Weight: 25%

Employment: (A) Refers to the labour market activity of the population 15 years of age and over in the week (Sunday to Saturday) prior to Census Day (May 15, 2001). Respondents were classified as either employed, or unemployed, or as not in the labour force. The labour force includes the employed and the unemployed (Statistics Canada, 2001).

Variables included:

·      Total population 15 years and over by labour force activity (20% sample);

·      Number unemployed within the total population 15 years and over by labour force activity (20% sample);

·      Total population 15 years and over by skill level*

 

 * Skill Level was concluded based on the occupational descriptions from the Canadian National Occupational Classification Matrix ‘level D’ which included: Cashiers; Occupations in food and beverage service; Occupations in protective services; Occupations in travel and accommodation, including attendants in recreation and sport; Trades helpers, construction and transportation labourers and related occupations; Primary production labourers; and Labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities.

Employment Weight: 25%

Health Deprivation and Disability: These values were obtained from the Vital Statistics department of British Columbia. The values were chosen subjectively. The inclusion of deaths related to smoking was to pronounce the education factor and to reflect the balance between education and lifestyle choice.

Variables included:

·      Rate of All External Causes of Death, including Motor Vehicle Traffic Accident and Suicides per 1,000 persons (1995 - 1999);

·      Rate of Low Birth Weight (<2,500g) per 1,000 births (1995 - 1999);

·      Rate of Smoking Attributable Mortality per 1,000 persons (1995 - 1999);

Health Deprivation and Disability Weight: 15%

Education, Skills and Training: (A) Refers to the highest grade or year of elementary or secondary (high) school attended, or to the highest year of university or college education completed. The attainment of a degree, certificate or diploma is considered to be at a higher level than years completed or attended without an educational qualification. (B) Refers to the language used most often at work by the individual at the time of the census. Other languages used at work on a regular basis are also collected (Statistics Canada, 2001).

Variables included:

·      Total population 20 years and over by highest level of schooling (20% sample);

·      Total population 20 years and over with highest level of schooling less than grade 9 (20% sample);

·      Total population 20 years and over with highest level of schooling grade 9 - 13 (20% sample);

·      Total population 20 years and over without a high school graduation certificate (20% sample)

·      Total population by knowledge of official language spoken (20% sample)

·      Total population by knowledge of official language spoken neither English nor French (20% sample);

·      Total population by first official language spoken (20% sample)

·      Total population by first official language spoken neither English nor French (20% sample)

Education, Skills and Training Weight: 15%

Housing: (A) Refers to all rooms designed and furnished as bedrooms and used mainly for sleeping purposes, even though the use may be occasional (e.g. spare bedroom).(B) Refers to the dollar amount expected by the owner if the dwelling were to be sold (Statistics Canada, 2001).

Variables included:

·      Percentage of households with more than one person per room, queried by number of bedrooms and number of people per household;

·      Average value of dwelling

Housing Weight: 10%

Geographical Access to Services:

Variables included: (A) distance from DA centroids to nearest facility. Calculations based on Euclidean straight line distance using the ESRI software platform ArcGIS. The formula for calculating Euclidean Distance:

·      Access to primary education facility

·      Access to health care facility

 

Geographical Access to Services Weight: 10%