Selecting a health indicator for comparative health surveys among different social categories using employment as example.

In the last decade a number of subjective health indicators have been developed and validated. In view of the investment involved in developing a new one, a researcher designing a health survey will preferably choose one of the existing indicators. To facilitate such a choice, a set of criteria is developed. Six existing indicators are valued according to the stipulated criteria. Unemployment is taken as the example because there is a demand for comparative health surveys between unemployed and employed in order to validate findings in the unemployment literature. The comparison of the health of unemployed and employed is used as an example on the basis of which more general statements can be made about the comparison of the health of people in other polar social roles like divorced versus married, immigrants versus residents, that involve a transition from one social role to another.