Social indicators: health

This article was one of several presented at an international conference on social indicators held at Ditchley Park in April 1971. The conference was sponsored by the Social Science Research Council and attended by representatives from USA, Canada, France and United Kingdom, including representation from the Central Statistical Office. Current thinking on social indicators is proceeding in many and various directions. It could not yet be claimed that there is any consensus on the most desirable line of development even within particular social policy areas. This is especially true of the difficult field of health with which this article deals. Nevertheless it is part of the editorial policy of Social Trends to keep in touch with developments in this important field. The article is therefore published not as representing a line of thought which has any especial status with public health authorities, government, or the medical profession but simply as an interesting example of the kind of substantive research which is going on in this field.