Economic profile of Ribeirão Preto population: application of the National Economic Indicator.

The study aimed to apply the National Economic Indicator on data from a cross-sectional population-based study (nw =2,197) in the city of Ribeirão Preto, Southeastern Brazil, in 2006. Compared to Brazil, the indicator presented a concentration around the last five deciles and was similar to that of the municipality of São Paulo, also in Southeastern Brazil. Differences were observed concerning the gender of the head of the family, showing more unfavourable conditions to families headed by women. Easy calculation and application along with the possibility of comparison with other Brazilian cities confirm that this indicator is a practical tool that can be applied to population-based studies in the evaluation of socioeconomic level.