Health Geography and Deprivation

Health Geography includes themes such as health inequalities and how social and physical environments shape human health. Deprivation is defined as a lack of the types of diet, clothing, housing and environmental, educational, working and social conditions, activities and facilities which are customary. This research has led to the development of online tools such as the New Zealand Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), the Older Person’s Index of Multiple Deprivation (OPIMD) and contributed to projects including the ‘Vascular informatics using epidemiology and the web (VIEW) programme.

Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD)

The New Zealand Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) is a set of tools for identifying concentrations of deprivation in New Zealand.

Older Person's Index of Multiple Deprivation (OPIMD)

The Older Person’s Index of Multiple Deprivation (OPIMD) is a set of tools for identifying concentrations of deprivation in New Zealand for the older population (aged 65 and over). 

Data Zones (DZs)

Data zones are neighbourhood level custom-designed spatial units used in the IMD and OPIMD.