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. 2006 Apr;41(2):429–451. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-6773.2005.00491.x

Table 3.

Mean Values of Independent Variables, 1992 (Health and Retirement Survey, N=3,564)

Variable Mean
Baseline health status index 0.79
Baseline HS7 (excellent) (%) 23.1
Baseline HS6 (%) 29.0
Baseline HS5 (%) 24.8
Baseline HS4 (%) 10.7
Baseline HS3 (%) 4.9
Baseline HS2 (poorest health) (%) 7.5
Hypertension (%) 38.9
Diabetes (%) 10.5
Cancer (%) 6.6
Pulmonary disease (%) 8.3
Heart disease (%) 13.1
Stroke (%) 2.0
Arthritis (%) 40.6
Light or moderate drinker (%) 59.7
Heavy drinker (%) 5.0
Smoker (%) 24.3
Female (%) 52.4
Married (%) 77.0
African American (%) 9.0
Hispanic (%) 4.3
Other race (%) 2.1
Some high school (%) 13.2
High school graduate (%) 40.5
Some college (%) 18.9
College graduate (%) 11.3
Postgraduate degree (%) 8.0
Age 55 in 1992 (%) 4.7
Age 56 in 1992 (%) 18.6
Age 57 in 1992 (%) 17.7
Age 58 in 1992 (%) 18.8
Age 59 in 1992 (%) 17.5
Age 60 in 1992 (%) 18.8
Foreign born (%) 7.5
Years in U.S. (foreign born only)* 2.0
Spouse union member (%) 9.0
Involuntary job loss in last 5 years (%) 8.5

Note:

*

Years in the U.S. were missing for a small number of cases and are represented by a dichotomous variable indicating missing years. This variable was not statistically significant in the insurance model.