TABLE 1.
Distribution of Selected Characteristics of Black and White Adults, by Ethnicity: National Health Interview Survey, 1997–2005
| Hispanic |
Non-Hispanic |
||||||
| Characteristics | Black (n = 944) | Whitea (n = 39 691) | Total (n = 40 635) | Black (n = 39 783) | Whitea (n = 190 921) | Totalb (n = 230 704) | Total (N = 271 339) |
| Age, y, mean (SD) | 37.9 (0.57) | 39.5 (0.18) | 39.4 (0.17) | 42.2 (0.18) | 46.7 (0.10) | 46.1 (0.09) | 45.4 (0.09) |
| Men, % (SE) | 44.3 (2.10) | 50.6 (0.33) | 50.5 (0.33) | 44.4 (0.32) | 48.1 (0.14) | 47.6 (0.13) | 47.9 (0.12) |
| Foreign born, % (SE) | 45.5 (2.33) | 59.4 (0.83) | 59.0 (0.81) | 9.2 (0.41) | 4.6 (0.09) | 5.2 (0.10) | 10.6 (0.16) |
| Education, % (SE) | |||||||
| Less than high school | 29.7 (2.09) | 44.8 (0.60) | 44.5 (0.60) | 23.3 (0.49) | 12.8 (0.19) | 14.2 (0.18) | 17.2 (0.19) |
| High school or GED | 27.4 (2.43) | 24.7 (0.33) | 24.8 (0.33) | 31.6 (0.37) | 31.0 (0.24) | 31.1 (0.21) | 30.4 (0.20) |
| Some college | 21.2 (2.03) | 14.9 (0.31) | 15.0 (0.31) | 21.8 (0.44) | 20.1 (0.16) | 20.3 (0.16) | 19.8 (0.15) |
| College degree or more | 21.8 (2.32) | 15.6 (0.33) | 15.7 (0.32) | 23.3 (0.29) | 36.2 (0.29) | 34.5 (0.26) | 32.6 (0.24) |
| Income, $, % (SE) | |||||||
| < 20 000 | 57.2 (2.57) | 62.3 (0.51) | 62.2 (0.50) | 53.6 (0.69) | 41.8 (0.26) | 43.4 (0.24) | 45.3 (0.22) |
| 20 000–34 999 | 30.6 (2.26) | 23.4 (0.36) | 23.6 (0.36) | 28.0 (0.42) | 27.6 (0.18) | 27.7 (0.17) | 27.3 (0.15) |
| 35 000–54 999 | 7.2 (1.33) | 8.8 (0.26) | 8.8 (0.25) | 12.1 (0.33) | 16.5 (0.14) | 15.9 (0.13) | 15.2 (0.12) |
| ≥ 55 000 | 5.1 (1.59) | 5.4 (0.20) | 5.4 (0.20) | 6.3 (0.30) | 14.1 (0.19) | 13.1 (0.17) | 12.3 (0.16) |
| Health insurance, % (SE) | |||||||
| Private | 44.6 (2.38) | 43.8 (0.46) | 43.8 (0.45) | 52.9 (0.51) | 64.8 (0.24) | 63.3 (0.22) | 61.3 (0.21) |
| Public | 24.4 (1.82) | 17.9 (0.36) | 18.0 (0.36) | 26.1 (0.40) | 23.4 (0.20) | 23.8 (0.19) | 23.2 (0.18) |
| None | 30.9 (2.04) | 38.4 (0.52) | 38.2 (0.51) | 21.0 (0.35) | 11.8 (0.13) | 13.0 (0.12) | 15.5 (0.14) |
| Diabetes, % (SE) | 6.6 (1.05) | 7.4 (0.17) | 7.3 (0.17) | 9.7 (0.21) | 6.8 (0.08) | 7.2 (0.08) | 7.2 (0.07) |
| BMI, kg/m2, mean (SD) | 27.5 (0.21) | 27.2 (0.04) | 27.3 (0.04) | 28.3 (0.04) | 26.5 (0.02) | 26.7 (0.02) | 26.8 (0.02) |
| Smoking status, % (SE) | |||||||
| Current | 21.4 (1.70) | 17.0 (0.26) | 17.1 (0.26) | 23.0 (0.36) | 23.7 (0.18) | 23.6 (0.17) | 23.0 (0.15) |
| Former | 12.1 (1.38) | 14.2 (0.23) | 14.1 (0.23) | 14.2 (0.23) | 25.2 (0.14) | 23.8 (0.13) | 22.8 (0.13) |
| Never | 66.5 (1.78) | 68.8 (0.38) | 68.8 (0.37) | 62.7 (0.39) | 51.1 (0.20) | 52.6 (0.19) | 54.2 (0.18) |
Notes. GED = general equivalency diploma; BMI = body mass index (weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared).
a
For comparisons of Blacks and Whites within ethnic groups, all P < .01, by the χ2 or t test, with the exception of BMI (P = .17) and diabetes (P = .45) among Hispanics.
b
For comparisons of Hispanics and non-Hispanics, P < .01, with the exception of diabetes (P = .39).