I think the socioeconomic variables included should be based on the theorized mechanism of how you think the social is leading to differences in micro nutrients and/or anthropometry. For example, do you think it is a direct tie of family income to the ability to buy foods with high micronutrient content? Or that educational achievement has improved a person's eating habits through increased knowledge. Or they live in higher social class neighborhood, so have access to better quality food. It could be all of the above and more. Good luck!

I think the socioeconomic variables included should be based on the theorized mechanism of how you think the social is leading to differences in micro nutrients and/or anthropometry. For example, do you think it is a direct tie of family income to the ability to buy foods with high micronutrient content? Or that educational achievement has improved a person's eating habits through increased knowledge. Or they live in higher social class neighborhood, so have access to better quality food. It could be all of the above and more. Good luck!

When I need to think of the variables - I generally brain storm a logical link from the policy to the effect and then review the literature to see what variables influence each step. This is how I would think of your problem

Impact of Public health policy:

For an individual

- 1) Did they know of it: Heard of it, Saw it, told of it

- 2) Diid they trust/understand/believe it

- 3) Did they use/adapt/follow it

1) - Access and use of Media (TV, Radio..); Talk to a public health worker; ...(for this step it would help if you knew how the govt. disseminated the information and a little bit more about the policy itself)

2) - Questions related to individuals knowledge of the topic and their beliefs ( would be influenced by schooling, education of other household members)

3) - Ease of accessing - cost/transportation/rural/urban/...

Hi, this is a very complex area. Perhaps before you ask what you wish to measure, you may want to refine what you, or the community would like to know. This could be framed as a question of hypothesis. I note you have identified iodine deficiency and nutrition suggesting your interests may be in food-related goiter or more severe illness. Interest from the community maybe to reduce the impact of these illnesses with strategies that may range from self help to medical intervention. Unless there is an epidemic, symptoms are going to be rare and require large sample size will be required to draw statistical inference from the incidence or prevalence data you already have or that you may wish to collect. The quantitative data may be harvested from sentinel or routine epidemiological monitoring. The socio-demographic factors you may wish to include to complement your qualitative questionnaire should reflect items already collected so you can dis-aggregate both data sets in a similar manner. As far as socio-demographic factors I suggest those used in the national census (using same definitions) as a starting point, then factors used in similar published peer reviewed research. Narrow down what will be a long list with help from an experienced demographer and run this list by community members to ensure they udnerstand the factors in the same way they are interpreted in the literature and this will help with your interpretation. Best of luck.

Thank you Dr. Emily, Dr. Nisha and Dr. John. I found these answers very helpful. We are conducting a pilot research on iodine deficiency in weaning infants and pregnant women of Eastern Nepal. The socio-demographic factors included in our study are: family size, water source, family income, family education and anthropometric variables like high and weight (only for infants). It is interesting to find the higher prevalence of iodine excess in our weaning infants group. The potential source of iodine for infants are only mother milk and iodized salt. Although the pregnant age groups are iodine sufficient, but the potential source of iodine excess is mysterious in the infant group so I decided to refine the socio-demographic variables. Thank you very much again for the support.

Hi Ashwini Kumar. I suggest you also record parity (how many babies mother has delivered), duration of breast feeding for baby, duration of breast feeding for other baby(s) (if any), reasons for ceasing breastfeeding (each baby), bottle feeding and source of bottle formula (brand and weight of power used, iodine content), other foods after baby weaned, mothers education level, support from grandmother/aunty of baby (if they feed baby, if so what foods), household composition (adults earning wage, unwaged adult, child in education/age, children not in education/age, Check pantry for salt and record salt brand and iodine content along with other iodine supplemented foods, and which were available to mother and baby, likely daily intake each trimester for mother, weekly for baby when weaning started. This may build a picture of mother's pregancy, breast feeding history, reasons for ceasing breastfeeding, duration of weaning and food intake for weaned infant. The education questions, most influenual with be mother's education, but moderating this may be overcrowding or lack of maternal support/competing priorities for work expected of mother. I hope this helps. John

You are very welcome. Good luck in your research!

Thank you Dr. John, Dr. Emily and Mr. Rupesh. I will include those questions you have mentioned Dr. John.

Usual sociodemographic variables include sex, age, place of residence, place of birth, educational levels, socieoconomic level, immigration. If you need to assess sociodemographic variables associated with deficiency of micronutrients it is necessary to look for those with potential effects on nutrition and micronytrients. Some of the variables you mention are not sociodemographic. For instance, water sources and personal dietary habits. Regional dietary habits can be considered cultural or regional variables.

I think in this regard for developing country birth order is the most significant variable and also you can follow anthropology type survey process.

Thank you Dr. Pedro and Dr. Subhasis for valuable suggestions.

The main Social demographic variable according to the HANES 1 data was the heaad of houshold. At the time it was suggested that male Head of Houshold, but it wuld be my best gest that all Heads of Housholds can be included as the most important social variable.

Depends on your social environment. Where there are a large number of female headed households and multiple generation households, the variable we use is occupation/income of the "major wage earner" -- i.e. the person that brings in the income for that household -- sometimes that person may not even be resident in the household -- where the household depends on remittances from a relative who is a migrant worker

Thank you Michael and McCaw for suggestions.