Table 3.
Trends in Early- , Mid-, and Late-life Factors, 75+ population, 1995-2004
| 1995 | 2004 | 1995 | 2004 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES | LATE LIFE | ||||
| Age | Marital status | ** | |||
| 75 - 79 | 44.0 | 45.1 | Married/has partner | 47.4 | 46.1 |
| 80 - 84 | 31.8 | 32.2 | Divorced/separated/widowed | 49.8 | 51.7 |
| 85 + | 24.2 | 22.6 | Never married | 2.8 | 2.2 |
| Female | 61.9 | 60.1 * | Region | ||
| Proxy | 11.8 | 9.6 ** | Northeast | 20.9 | 18.6 |
| EARLY LIFE | Midwest | 26.6 | 27.5 | ||
| Race | South | 35.0 | 34.2 | ||
| White, non-Hispanic | 87.7 | 86.6 ** | West | 17.5 | 19.6 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 7.8 | 7.0 | Couple income (in 2004 $) | ** | |
| Other, non-Hispanic | 1.1 | 2.1 | $0-9,999 | 16.5 | 12.7 |
| Hispanic | 3.4 | 4.4 | $10,000-19,999 | 29.3 | 29.9 |
| Region of birth | * | $20,000-29,999 | 18.3 | 19.7 | |
| Northeast | 23.0 | 22.5 | $30,000-39,999 | 12.0 | 13.2 |
| Midwest | 30.9 | 32.7 | $40,000-49,999 | 7.6 | 7.4 |
| South | 30.0 | 28.4 | $50,000+ | 16.3 | 17.0 |
| West | 6.7 | 8.0 | Total wealth (in 2004 $) | ** | |
| U.S. territory/outside U.S. | 9.5 | 8.5 | <$0 - 1,000 | 9.6 | 9.7 |
| Mother's education | ** | $2,000-49,999 | 19.1 | 15.7 | |
| Fewer than 8 years | 41.5 | 29.3 | $50,000-149,999 | 26.3 | 20.0 |
| 8 or more years | 46.8 | 58.5 | $150,000-299,999 | 20.5 | 19.4 |
| Missing | 11.7 | 12.2 | $300,000+ | 24.5 | 35.3 |
| SES as a child | * | Smoking behavior | ** | ||
| Well off/about average | 33.7 | 63.6 | Never smoked | 50.7 | 46.3 |
| Poor/varied | 33.3 | 36.4 | Quit smoking | 42.8 | 48.1 |
| Self-rated health as child | ** | Still smoking | 6.5 | 5.6 | |
| Excellent | 42.6 | 47.2 | Chronic conditions | ||
| Very good | 28.5 | 27.0 | High blood pressure | 52.1 | 63.6 ** |
| Good | 22.1 | 20.0 | Diabetes | 12.8 | 18.6 ** |
| Fair/poor | 6.8 | 5.8 | Cancer | 16.5 | 20.4 ** |
| Low peak stature | 2.2 | 1.5 * | Lung disease | 11.3 | 11.2 |
| MID LIFE | Heart disease | 35.4 | 38.3 * | ||
| Education | ** | Stroke | 10.0 | 11.0 | |
| 8 or fewer years | 24.6 | 15.3 | Psychiatric disorder | 11.3 | 13.5 ** |
| 9-11 years | 17.0 | 14.1 | Arthritis | 55.3 | 70.6 ** |
| High school diploma/GED | 30.6 | 36.4 | Obese | 16.9 | 22.4 ** |
| More than high school | 27.7 | 34.1 | Self-rated vision | ** | |
| Occupation | ** | Excellent/very good | 26.4 | 29.0 | |
| Blue collar | 24.7 | 22.9 | Good | 37.6 | 42.5 |
| Pink collar | 18.7 | 21.1 | Fair/poor/legally blind | 36.0 | 28.5 |
| White collar | 25.9 | 31.0 | Self-rated hearing | * | |
| Never worked | 7.2 | 5.6 | Excellent/very good | 32.7 | 30.1 |
| Not coded | 23.5 | 19.4 | Good | 36.6 | 36.7 |
| Veteran | 19.1 | 28.9 ** | Fair/poor | 30.8 | 33.2 |
*
p<.05
**
p<.01 based on chi-square