Table 1.
Health Behaviors for Whites over 25 National Health Interview Survey
| Demographic Controls |
Adding Income |
Adding Income and other Economic |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dependent Variable | Mean | N | Year | Years of Education (β) |
std error | Years of Education (β) |
std error | Reduction in Education Coefficient |
Years of Education (β) |
std error | Reduction in Education Coefficient |
| Smoking | |||||||||||
| Current smoker | 23% | 22141 | 2000 | −0.030 | (0.001) ** | −0.022 | (0.001) ** | 26% | −0.020 | (0.001) ** | 33% |
| Former smoker | 26% | 22270 | 2000 | 0.004 | (0.001) ** | 0.002 | (0.001) | 58% | 0.001 | (0.001) | 79% |
| Ever smoked | 49% | 22156 | 2000 | −0.026 | (0.001) ** | −0.021 | (0.001) ** | 20% | −0.019 | (0.001) ** | 25% |
| Number cigs a day (smokers) | 17.7 | 4910 | 2000 | −0.697 | (0.068) ** | −0.561 | (0.071) ** | 19% | −0.444 | (0.073) ** | 36% |
| Made serious attempt to quit ° | 64% | 7603 | 1990 | 0.013 | (0.002) ** | 0.011 | (0.002) ** | 12% | 0.011 | (0.002) ** | 16% |
| Diet/Exercise | |||||||||||
| Body mass index (BMI) | 26.7 | 21401 | 2000 | −0.190 | (0.014) ** | −0.159 | (0.015) ** | 16% | −0.139 | (0.016) ** | 27% |
| Underweight (bmi<=18.5) | 2% | 21401 | 2000 | −0.0005 | (0.0004) | −0.0001 | (0.0004) | 85% | 0.0000 | (0.0004) | 98% |
| Overweight (bmi>=25) | 59% | 21401 | 2000 | −0.014 | (0.001) ** | −0.014 | (0.001) ** | 0% | −0.013 | (0.001) ** | 12% |
| Obese (bmi>=30) | 22% | 21401 | 2000 | −0.014 | (0.001) ** | −0.011 | (0.001) ** | 18% | −0.010 | (0.001) ** | 28% |
| How often eat fruit or veggies per day | 1.9 | 22285 | 2000 | 0.079 | (0.004) ** | 0.067 | (0.004) ** | 16% | 0.067 | (0.004) ** | 15% |
| Ever do vigorous activity | 39% | 22003 | 2000 | 0.039 | (0.001) ** | 0.032 | (0.001) ** | 18% | 0.028 | (0.001) ** | 28% |
| Ever do moderate activity | 53% | 21768 | 2000 | 0.037 | (0.001) ** | 0.030 | (0.001) ** | 17% | 0.029 | (0.001) ** | 21% |
| Alcohol | |||||||||||
| Had 12+ drinks in entire life | 80% | 22054 | 2000 | 0.021 | (0.001) ** | 0.017 | (0.001) ** | 19% | 0.014 | (0.001) ** | 33% |
| Drink at least once per month | 47% | 21803 | 2000 | 0.033 | (0.001) ** | 0.025 | (0.001) ** | 24% | 0.020 | (0.001) ** | 41% |
| Number of days had 5+ drinks past year- drinkers | 10.8 | 13458 | 2000 | −2.047 | (0.157) ** | −1.711 | (0.167) ** | 16% | −1.754 | (0.170) ** | 14% |
| Number of days had 5+ drinks past year- all | 6.8 | 21663 | 2000 | −0.848 | (0.092) ** | −0.703 | (0.098) ** | 17% | −0.763 | (0.100) ** | 10% |
| Average # drinks on days drank | 2.3 | 13600 | 2000 | −0.162 | (0.012) ** | −0.162 | (0.012) ** | 0% | −0.144 | (0.012) ** | 11% |
| Heavy drinker (average number of drinks>=5) | 8% | 13600 | 2000 | −0.018 | (0.001) ** | −0.015 | (0.001) ** | 12% | −0.015 | (0.001) ** | 13% |
| Drove drunk past year ° | 11% | 17121 | 1990 | −0.003 | (0.001) ** | −0.002 | (0.001) ** | 27% | −0.005 | (0.001) ** | −38% |
| Number of times drove drunk past year ° | 93% | 17121 | 1990 | −0.140 | (0.036) ** | −0.103 | (0.038) ** | 27% | −0.119 | (0.040) ** | 15% |
| Illegal Drugs | |||||||||||
| Ever used marijuana ° | 48% | 13413 | 1991 | 0.015 | (0.002) ** | 0.014 | (0.002) ** | 9% | 0.009 | (0.002) ** | 41% |
| Used marijuana, past 12 months ° | 8% | 13413 | 1991 | −0.001 | (0.001) | 0.000 | (0.001) | 139% | −0.002 | (0.001) ** | −100% |
| Ever used cocaine ° | 16% | 13174 | 1991 | 0.005 | (0.001) ** | 0.005 | (0.001) ** | −14% | 0.000 | (0.001) | 94% |
| Used cocaine, past 12 months ° | 2% | 13174 | 1991 | 0.000 | (0.000) | 0.000 | (0.001) | --- | −0.001 | (0.001) | --- |
| Ever used any other illegal drug ° | 22% | 13370 | 1991 | 0.003 | (0.014) ** | 0.006 | (0.002) ** | −80% | 0.001 | (0.002) ** | 79% |
| Used other illegal drug, past 12 months ° | 5% | 13176 | 1991 | −0.002 | (0.001) ** | 0.000 | (0.001) | 87% | −0.002 | (0.001) ** | 20% |
| Automobile Safety | |||||||||||
| Always wear seat belt ° | 69% | 29993 | 1990 | 0.033 | (0.001) ** | 0.027 | (0.001) ** | 19% | 0.026 | (0.001) ** | 23% |
| Never wear seat belt ° | 9% | 29993 | 1990 | −0.014 | (0.001) ** | −0.011 | (0.001) ** | 20% | −0.011 | (0.001) ** | 22% |
| Household Safety | |||||||||||
| Know poison control number ° | 65% | 6838 | 1990 | 0.031 | (0.002) ** | 0.026 | (0.002) ** | 18% | 0.027 | (0.002) ** | 15% |
| 1 + working smoke detectors ° | 80% | 29021 | 1990 | 0.019 | (0.001) ** | 0.012 | (0.001) ** | 36% | 0.012 | (0.001) ** | 38% |
| House tested for radon ° | 4% | 28440 | 1990 | 0.007 | (0.000) ** | 0.005 | (0.000) ** | 29% | 0.005 | (0.000) ** | 25% |
| Home paint ever tested for lead ° | 4% | 9600 | 1991 | 0.000 | (0.001) | 0.001 | (0.001) | --- | −0.001 | (0.001) | --- |
| At least 1 firearm in household | 42% | 14207 | 1994 | −0.011 | (0.002) ** | −0.019 | (0.002) ** | −73% | −0.012 | (0.002) ** | −9% |
| All firearms in household are locked (has firearms) | 36% | 5268 | 1994 | −0.005 | (0.003) ** | −0.008 | (0.003) ** | −60% | −0.007 | (0.003) ** | −40% |
| All firearms in household are unloaded (has firearms) | 81% | 5262 | 1994 | 0.006 | (0.002) ** | 0.003 | (0.001) ** | 50% | 0.004 | (0.002) ** | 33% |
| Preventive Care-recommended population | |||||||||||
| Ever had mammogram-age 40+ | 87% | 8169 | 2000 | 0.017 | (0.001) ** | 0.013 | (0.002) ** | 27% | 0.010 | (0.002) ** | 40% |
| Had mamogram w/in past 2 yrs | 56% | 8100 | 2000 | 0.026 | (0.002) ** | 0.017 | (0.002) ** | 34% | 0.014 | (0.002) ** | 45% |
| Ever had pap smear test | 97% | 11866 | 2000 | 0.009 | (0.001) ** | 0.009 | (0.001) ** | 7% | 0.009 | (0.001) ** | 1% |
| Had pap smear w/in past yr | 62% | 11748 | 2000 | 0.028 | (0.002) ** | 0.019 | (0.002) ** | 32% | 0.015 | (0.002) ** | 46% |
| Ever had colorectal screening-age 40+ | 31% | 14302 | 2000 | 0.021 | (0.001) ** | 0.019 | (0.002) ** | 11% | 0.018 | (0.002) ** | 14% |
| Had colonoscopy w/in past yr | 9% | 14259 | 2000 | 0.007 | (0.001) ** | 0.007 | (0.001) ** | 11% | 0.006 | (0.001) ** | 17% |
| Ever been tested for hiv | 30% | 20853 | 2000 | 0.011 | (0.001) ** | 0.011 | (0.001) ** | 0% | 0.011 | (0.001) ** | 2% |
| Had an std other than hiv/aids, past 5 y | 2% | 11398 | 2000 | 0.000 | (0.001) | 0.001 | (0.001) | --- | 0.000 | (0.001) | --- |
| Had flu shot past 12 mo | 32% | 22047 | 2000 | 0.014 | (0.001) ** | 0.013 | (0.001) ** | 11% | 0.013 | (0.001) ** | 11% |
| Ever had pneumonia vaccination | 18% | 21705 | 2000 | 0.005 | (0.001) ** | 0.006 | (0.001) ** | −30% | 0.006 | (0.001) ** | −25% |
| Ever had hepatitis b vaccine | 19% | 21118 | 2000 | 0.018 | (0.001) ** | 0.017 | (0.001) ** | 4% | 0.017 | (0.001) ** | 8% |
| Received all 3 hepatitis B shots | 15% | 20848 | 2000 | 0.015 | (0.001) ** | 0.014 | (0.001) ** | 6% | 0.014 | (0.001) ** | 7% |
| Among Diabetics | |||||||||||
| Are you now taking insulin | 32% | 1442 | 2000 | −0.002 | (0.004) | −0.003 | (0.004) | −38% | −0.003 | (0.005) | −36% |
| Are you now taking diabetic pills | 66% | 1443 | 2000 | −0.006 | (0.004) | −0.004 | (0.004) | 25% | −0.004 | (0.005) | 40% |
| Blood pressure high at last reading ° | 7% | 28373 | 1990 | −0.005 | (0.001) ** | −0.004 | (0.001) ** | 24% | −0.004 | (0.001) ** | 24% |
| Among hypertensives | |||||||||||
| Still have high bp ° | 47% | 6899 | 1990 | −0.012 | (0.002) ** | −0.010 | (0.002) ** | 19% | −0.009 | (0.002) ** | 25% |
| High bp is cured (vs controlled) ° | 26% | 3537 | 1990 | 0.000 | (0.003) | −0.001 | (0.003) | --- | −0.002 | (0.003) | --- |
| Average Reduction in Education Coefficient | |||||||||||
| Unweighted (outcomes w/significant gradients at baseline) | 12% | 22% | |||||||||
| Mortality weighted | 11% | 24% | 32% | ||||||||
Notes: Sample sizes are constant across columns. Demographic controls include a full set of dummies for age, gender, and Hispanic origin. Economic controls include family income, family size, major activity, region, MSA, marital status, and whether covered by health insurance.
Outcomes marked with ° came from waves of the NHIS that did not collect health insurance data, so health insurance is not included in these regressions. Self reports are from questions of the form "Has a doctor ever told you that you have …?" Unweighted average reduction in education coefficient is calculated for all behaviors where the education effect without controls is statistically significant. NHIS weights are used in all regressions and in calculating means.
**
(*) indicates statistically significant at the 5% (10%) level.