Journal of Community Health Research. 2015;4(3): 203-214 Original Article Assessing Development Levels of Kerman City in Terms of Health Indicators Using the Numerical Taxonomy Mehdi Raadabadi1, Mohsen Barouni2, Reza Goudarzi1, Najme Baghian3, Asma Sabermahani4 1. Health Services Management Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran 2. Medical Informatics Research Center, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran 3. Health Policy Research center, faculty of health, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran 4. Research Center for Modeling in Health, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran Received: 2015/07/28 Accepted: 2015/09/14 Abstract Introduction: Understanding the development situation is regarded necessary in order to plan to achieve the optimal development. This understanding involves separating study regions from planning areas, evaluating the separate regions via development indicators, and ranking each area in terms of having development blessings. Therefore, this study aimed to stratify Kerman province districts in terms of health indicators using taxonomy models. Materials & Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on the stratification of 16 Kerman Province districts based on 10 selected health indicators using taxonomy models. The study data were Downloaded from jhr.ssu.ac.ir at 22:21 IRST on Tuesday September 28th 2021 collected by the researcher from statistical center of Iran as well as Kerman University of Medical Sciences. In order to analyze the data, SPSS.19 and Excel 2010 softwares were utilized. Results: The taxonomy model results revealed Baft district (0.46) and Rigan district (0.96) as the most and least developed districts, respectively. Moreover, 31.25% of the studied cities were moderately developed, 37.5% were less developed and others were the least developed ones. Conclusions: A relatively large difference can be observed between cities in regard with their health sectors. Most of the cities did not demonstrate satisfactory status concerning healthcare indices. Therefore, formulating plans on how to allocate resources for the health sector in order to improve the health status of the cities demand to be essential for the policy makers. Keywords: Development; Health Care; Taxonomy Corresponding author: Tel: +983431325123 Email: [email protected] 203 Mehdi Raadabadi and Others Introduction Nowadays development is one of the recognizing the existing condition [4]. significant concerns of many countries. In Inequality and its dimensions are other words, development means introduced as the signs of satisfying the people's living conditions [1]. underdevelopment. In fact, in developed To achieve the development, planning is countries, high economic and social an undeniable necessity. However, the first indices as well as income distribution and step to achieve success in planning and facilities are reported relatively fair, development is i real identifying the level whereas in underdeveloped countries, of capabilities, limitations, and regional levels of these indicators and their imbalances [2]. distributions are unfair [5]. Determining the Formulation of development strategies in status of the provinces in terms of implementing schemes, identifying the development planning and the fair strengths, and deficiencies, as well as distribution of facilities as well as determining the levels of development of development benefits in the society seems regions based on a set of appropriate to be essential. indices is an inevitable necessity for To achieve this, the planners of different effective regional planning. Thereby, the societies and communities have made an executive level managers have this effort to reduce inequalities via executing opportunity to identify the development multiple programs aimed to eradicate the strategies and provide some programs in poverty [6]. The regional studies in accordance with the conditions of the different countries indicated that some Downloaded from jhr.ssu.ac.ir at 22:21 IRST on Tuesday September 28th 2021 region [3]. areas d revealed a better performance Equitable distribution of facilities and the compared to other areas of the country, development are the most important leading to better growth and development. properties among the majority of dynamic Hence, planners will be able to benefit and healthy economies. The planners, to from the experience of the managers in achieve these goals, have endeavored to different parts of the region provided they reduce inequalities and imbalances can identify the factors affecting the through implementing numerous programs proper functioning of the areas and thus, of deprivation and expanding all-round planners can allocate the optimum positive aspects of the development. allocation of funds [7]. The basic step in this regard involves the Within the different developmental development of effective programs indices, the health indicator is one of the consistent with reality, achieving the most development indicators of the superior goal of social justice via country, due to its high role in the people's 204 Assessing Development Levels of … health. As a matter of fact, it is introduced proved to be underdeveloped [14]. In the as the most important indicator of progress present study, the selected indicators of and success in any country. The national health were ranked simultaneously based development programs largely depend on on the numerical taxonomy. the objectives of this sector to be achieved Numerical taxonomy is used to evaluate [8]. Improving health indicators leads to the similarities between taxonomic units as human, society and finally country well as ranking those elements as development [9]. taxonomic groups. In this method, a set In the past decades, a brief look at health series will be divided into more or less indicators in the country revealed the rapid homogeneous subsets and other options development of indicators on the one hand, will be deleted. Then, among the and the inequality in some indicators in the remaining homogeneous sets, the options regions and different provinces of the will be ranked using Multiple Attribute country on the other hand [10]. In any case, Decision-making (MADM) Methods. The Iran like other developing countries is distinctive feature of numerical taxonomy necessitated to ameliorate its position involves measuring the target of within the developed countries of the homogeneous various topics based on their world and needs paid more attention to the distances to each other. [15]. Recognizing development of the health sector, since the inequalities and imbalances within the improving development in this sector is a different geographical areas leads to prerequisite for the development of other assessing current situation of country, sectors of country [11, 12]. province, city and, therefore, Several studies have been conducted in the understanding the existing differences and Downloaded from jhr.ssu.ac.ir at 22:21 IRST on Tuesday September 28th 2021 field of development, utilization level of the policy making process to reduce educational programs and health services inequalities [16]. using multiple methods. Noorbakhsh, in This study, using the numerical taxonomy ranking the provinces of the country, model, intended to examine the condition demonstrated Tehran and Qom provinces of health indicators in Kerman province as as highly developed provinces and Sistan- well as to determine the level of o-Baluchistan Province as the least development and deprivation in these developed province [13]. SayehMiri (2011), areas. in a study using numerical taxonomy, Materials and Methods concluded that the cities of Ilam, Mehran, In this descriptive applied study, the health DarrehShahr, and Dehloran have level of counties of Kerman has been developed, whereas the cities of Shirvan, investigated using the numerical taxonomy Chardavol, Eivan, and Abdanan were based on health indicators in 2011. 205 Mehdi Raadabadi and Others Therefore, the geographic scope of the counties' names, number of active medical study is Kerman, where its statistical institutions, available beds, number of population consists of 16 counties (Zarand, healthcare institutions, number of public Baft, Bam, Bardsir, Fahraj, Faryab, Jiroft, healthcare institutions, number of daily Kahnuoj, Kerman, Normashir, Rabar, healthcare institutions, number of Rafsanjan, Ravar, Rigan, Shahrebabak and circadian healthcare institutions, number Sirjan). of laboratories, number of pharmacies, After evaluating the literature review and radiology centers, rehabilitation centers, expert opinions, 10 indicators were and city population. considered as health indicators including The data were also collected from the active medical institutions to thousand Center of Statistics and Kerman University populations ratio (I1), number of beds in of Medical Sciences. After completing the active medical institutions to thousand forms, the rank of city development was populations ratio (I2), healthcare calculated using the numerical taxonomy institutions to thousand populations ratio through Excel 2010 and SPSS softwares (I3), public healthcare institutions to active (Ver 19) respectively. healthcare institutions ratio (I4), daily Analysis method of taxonomy is regarded healthcare institutions to active healthcare as one of the common methods concerning