. 2026 Jun 15;35(8):195. doi: 10.1007/s11136-026-04300-1

Table 2.

Survey-weighted multivariable linear regression of HRQoL on sociodemographic characteristics, BMI, and cardiometabolic conditions, MEPS 2015, 2016, 2018, 2022

Variable	Model 1: sociodemographic			Model 2: sociodemographic + CMD			Model 3: sociodemographic + BMI			Model 4: sociodemographic + CMD + BMI (Primary)
Variable	β	(SE)	p	β	(SE)	p	β	(SE)	p	β	(SE)	p
Intercept	0.8493	(0.0027)	< 0.001	0.8687	(0.0025)	< 0.001	0.8528	(0.0029)	< 0.001	0.8671	(0.0026)	< 0.001
Age group (ref: 18–29 years)
30–39 years	− 0.0264	(0.0018)	< 0.001	− 0.0149	(0.0016)	< 0.001	− 0.0197	(0.0017)	< 0.001	− 0.0140	(0.0016)	< 0.001
40–49 years	− 0.0484	(0.0019)	< 0.001	− 0.0240	(0.0018)	< 0.001	− 0.0387	(0.0019)	< 0.001	− 0.0230	(0.0018)	< 0.001
50–59 years	− 0.0764	(0.0019)	< 0.001	− 0.0376	(0.0018)	< 0.001	− 0.0674	(0.0020)	< 0.001	− 0.0370	(0.0018)	< 0.001
60–69 years	− 0.0994	(0.0023)	< 0.001	− 0.0427	(0.0021)	< 0.001	− 0.0910	(0.0023)	< 0.001	− 0.0428	(0.0021)	< 0.001
70–79 years	− 0.1197	(0.0027)	< 0.001	− 0.0473	(0.0025)	< 0.001	− 0.1134	(0.0026)	< 0.001	− 0.0483	(0.0025)	< 0.001
≥80 years	− 0.1653	(0.0032)	< 0.001	− 0.0875	(0.0032)	< 0.001	− 0.1641	(0.0031)	< 0.001	− 0.0894	(0.0032)	< 0.001
Sex (ref: Female)
Male	0.0131	(0.0009)	< 0.001	0.0172	(0.0009)	< 0.001	0.0131	(0.0009)	< 0.001	0.0172	(0.0009)	< 0.001
Race/Ethnicity (ref: Non-Hispanic White)
Non-hispanic black	0.0081	(0.0019)	< 0.001	0.0143	(0.0017)	< 0.001	0.0136	(0.0018)	< 0.001	0.0150	(0.0017)	< 0.001
Hispanic	0.0292	(0.0018)	< 0.001	0.0243	(0.0015)	< 0.001	0.0287	(0.0017)	< 0.001	0.0245	(0.0015)	< 0.001
Non-Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander	0.0189	(0.0026)	< 0.001	0.0094	(0.0022)	< 0.001	0.0084	(0.0024)	< 0.001	0.0078	(0.0022)	< 0.001
Non-Hispanic Other	− 0.0140	(0.0036)	< 0.001	− 0.0083	(0.0034)	0.016	− 0.0119	(0.0036)	0.001	− 0.0082	(0.0034)	0.016
Education (ref: No degree)
High school diploma / GED	0.0132	(0.0019)	< 0.001	0.0139	(0.0017)	< 0.001	0.0167	(0.0019)	< 0.001	0.0147	(0.0017)	< 0.001
Other post-secondary degree	0.0201	(0.0028)	< 0.001	0.0200	(0.0026)	< 0.001	0.0233	(0.0029)	< 0.001	0.0207	(0.0027)	< 0.001
Bachelor’s degree	0.0410	(0.0021)	< 0.001	0.0335	(0.0019)	< 0.001	0.0409	(0.0021)	< 0.001	0.0341	(0.0019)	< 0.001
Master’s or Doctorate degree	0.0531	(0.0024)	< 0.001	0.0439	(0.0021)	< 0.001	0.0516	(0.0024)	< 0.001	0.0442	(0.0021)	< 0.001
Income (ref: Poor, < 100% FPL)
Near poor (100–124%)	0.0224	(0.0037)	< 0.001	0.0205	(0.0034)	< 0.001	0.0224	(0.0037)	< 0.001	0.0207	(0.0034)	< 0.001
Low income (125–199%)	0.0366	(0.0027)	< 0.001	0.0340	(0.0025)	< 0.001	0.0374	(0.0026)	< 0.001	0.0342	(0.0025)	< 0.001
Middle income (200–399%)	0.0602	(0.0023)	< 0.001	0.0540	(0.0022)	< 0.001	0.0611	(0.0023)	< 0.001	0.0540	(0.0022)	< 0.001
High income (≥ 400%)	0.0819	(0.0023)	< 0.001	0.0708	(0.0022)	< 0.001	0.0803	(0.0023)	< 0.001	0.0703	(0.0022)	< 0.001
Cardiometabolic conditions
Type 2 diabetes				− 0.0427	(0.0023)	< 0.001				− 0.0411	(0.0023)	< 0.001
Heart disease				− 0.0501	(0.0019)	< 0.001				− 0.0500	(0.0019)	< 0.001
High blood pressure				− 0.0329	(0.0015)	< 0.001				− 0.0313	(0.0015)	< 0.001
High cholesterol				− 0.0236	(0.0014)	< 0.001				− 0.0232	(0.0014)	< 0.001
Stroke				− 0.0707	(0.0036)	< 0.001				− 0.0710	(0.0036)	< 0.001
Obesity (BMI ≥ 30)				− 0.0311	(0.0012)	< 0.001				− 0.0143	(0.0019)	< 0.001
Body mass index
BMI − 25 kg/m² (linear)							− 0.0033	(0.0002)	< 0.001	− 0.0014	(0.0002)	< 0.001
(BMI − 25)² (quadratic)							− 0.000010	(0.000017)	0.554	− 0.000017	(0.000014)	0.228

Survey-weighted linear regression (svyglm, Gaussian family) pooling MEPS 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2022. Sampling weights divided by 4 to represent the average annual U.S. adult population. BMI − 25 (linear) estimates the mean change in EQ-5D per 1 kg/m² increase in BMI at 25 kg/m²; the quadratic term captures curvature of the BMI–HRQoL association. FPL, Federal poverty level; β, regression coefficient (adjusted EQ-5D utility difference); SE, standard error