Table 1

Measurements included in the study

Variable	Operationalisation	Categories used in analyses	Source
Ethnic background	Country of birth	Surinamese, Antillean, Turkish, Moroccan, native Dutch	Municipal register
Use of health care
General practitioner	Use past 2 months	Any versus no use	Health interview survey
Prescription drug use	Use past 3 months	Any versus no use	Health insurance register
Hospital admission	Use past year	Any versus no use	Health insurance register
Outpatient specialist	Use past 2 months	Any versus no use	Health insurance register
Physiotherapist	Use past 2 months	Any versus no use	Health insurance register
Other paramedics	Use past year	Any versus no use	Health insurance register
Health status
Self rated health	How do you rate your health in general?	(very) good versus less than good	Health interview survey
Health complaints	Checklist, containing 20 minor complaints	<4 versus ⩾5	Health interview survey
Chronic conditions	Checklist, containing 7 chronic conditions	0 versus ⩾1	Health interview survey
Days ill in bed	Past two months	0.1 versus >1	Health interview survey
Socioeconomic status
Education	Highest level attained	3 educational levels^1-150	Health interview survey
Income	Household, equivalent	3 income levels^1-151	Health interview survey
Occupational level	Current/last paid employment	5 occupational levels + not in paid employment^1-152	Health interview survey

↵1-150 The educational levels were: primary school only; general education and lower/intermediate vocational training; higher vocational college and university.
↵1-151 The income levels were: less than 1900 Dutch guilders a month, 1900–4000 guilders a month, more than 4000 guilders a month.
↵1-152 The occupations were classified according to the five levels outlined in the Erikson, Goldthorpe and Partocarero (EGP) scheme¹²—that is, higher grade professionals; lower grade professionals and routine non-manual employees; self employed; high and low skilled manual workers; unskilled manual workers. The persons who had never been in paid employment formed the sixth category.