Table 2.
Health Behaviors, Resources, and Risk Aversion Health and Retirement Study (wave 3), Whites
| Coefficient on Years of Education |
Reduction in Education Coefficient |
||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dependent Variable | Mean | N | Demographic and Background Controls |
Adding Economic Controls |
Adding Risk Aversion (in addition to economic controls) |
Economic Controls |
Adding Risk Aversion and economic controls |
| Smoking | |||||||
| Current smoker | 21% | 5036 | −0.020** | −0.018** | −0.018** | 10% | 0% |
| (0.003) | (0.003) | (0.003) | |||||
| Former smoker | 41% | 5036 | 0.000 | −0.001 | −0.001 | N/A | N/A |
| (0.003) | (0.003) | (0.003) | |||||
| Ever smoked daily | 63% | 5217 | −0.020** | −0.018** | −0.019** | 10% | −5% |
| (0.002) | (0.003) | (0.003) | |||||
| Diet/Exercise | |||||||
| BMI | 27.2 | 5144 | −0.132** | −0.115** | −0.113** | 13% | 2% |
| (0.031) | (0.031) | (0.031) | |||||
| Underweight | 2% | 5144 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0% | 0% |
| (0.001) | (0.001) | (0.001) | |||||
| Overweight | 65% | 5144 | −0.008** | −0.008** | −0.008** | 0% | 0% |
| (0.003) | (0.003) | (0.003) | |||||
| Obese | 24% | 5144 | −0.009** | −0.007** | −0.007** | 22% | 0% |
| (0.003) | (0.002) | (0.002) | |||||
| Vigorous activity 3+ times/week | 53% | 5214 | 0.000 | −0.004 | −0.004 | N/A | N/A |
| (0.003) | (0.003) | (0.003) | |||||
| Drinking | |||||||
| Current drinker | 58% | 5187 | 0.024** | 0.018** | 0.018** | 25% | 0% |
| (0.003) | (0.003) | (0.003) | |||||
| Heavy drinker (ever drinks>5 drinks--all persons) | 2% | 5187 | −0.003** | −0.003** | −0.003** | 0% | 0% |
| (0.001) | (0.001) | (0.001) | |||||
| Preventive Care | |||||||
| Got flu shot | 39% | 5215 | 0.011** | 0.011** | 0.012** | 0% | −9% |
| (0.003) | (0.003) | (0.003) | |||||
| Got mammogram (women) | 73% | 2864 | 0.025** | 0.022** | 0.022** | 12% | 0% |
| (0.004) | (0.004) | (0.004) | |||||
| Got pap smear (women) | 68% | 2858 | 0.020** | 0.016** | 0.016** | 20% | 0% |
| (0.004) | (0.005) | (0.005) | |||||
| Got prostate test (men) | 67% | 2348 | 0.027** | 0.026** | 0.026** | 4% | 0% |
| (0.004) | (0.004) | (0.004) | |||||
| Average Reduction in Education Coefficient | |||||||
| Unweighted standardized index, excluding preventive care | 4936 | 0.012** | 0.010** | 0.011** | 20% | −5% | |
| (0.002) | (0.002) | (0.002) | |||||
| Unweighted percentages (outcomes w/significant gradients at baseline) | 10% | −1% | |||||
| Mortality weighted | 17% | 0% | |||||
Notes: Sample sizes are constant across columns. Data are from wave 3 of the HRS. Demographic controls include a full set of dummies for age, gender, and Hispanic origin. Socioeconomic background measures include dummy for father alive, father's age (current or at death), dummy for mother alive, mother's age (current or at death), father's education, mother's education, religion, self reported SES at age 16, self reported health at age 16, dad's occupation at age 16. Economic controls include total family income, total assets, number of individuals in the household, labor force status, region, MSA, marital status. Unweighted regression results use the methodology of Kling et al. (2007). Unweighted average reduction in education coefficient is calculated for all behaviors where the education effect without controls is statistically significant. HRS weights are used in all regressions and in calculating means. Standard errors are clustered at the person level.
(*) indicates statistically significant at the 5% (10%) level.