Table 1.
Sample Characteristics of Spouses 65 Years or Older at the Beginning of the Study Period, by Gender: Health and Retirement Study, 1998a
| Husbands | Wives | |
| Number of children | 2.92 (0.06) | 2.86 (0.06) |
| Number of sons | 1.44 (0.03) | 1.41 (0.03) |
| Number of daughters | 1.47 (0.04) | 1.45 (0.03) |
| Age | 75.24 (0.14) | 72.80 (0.14) |
| Race/ethnicity | ||
| Non-Hispanic White | 90.19 | 89.48 |
| Hispanic White | 3.24 | 3.54 |
| Black | 4.94 | 5.07 |
| Other | 1.63 | 1.92 |
| Education | ||
| Less than high school | 32.94 | 23.79 |
| High school | 29.31 | 41.21 |
| Some college | 16.36 | 20.00 |
| College graduate | 21.39 | 15.00 |
| Prior nursing home use | 1.50 | 1.06 |
| Poor self-reported health | 11.28 | 9.47 |
| Disability | ||
| 0 ADL | 83.62 | 83.77 |
| 1–2 ADL | 11.92 | 11.82 |
| 3+ ADL | 4.45 | 4.41 |
| 0 IADL | 84.60 | 87.79 |
| 1–2 IADL | 11.54 | 8.51 |
| 3+ IADL | 3.86 | 3.70 |
| Cognitive function | ||
| Low | 5.53 | 5.17 |
| Moderate | 65.01 | 57.20 |
| High | 29.46 | 37.63 |
| Health Insurance coverage | ||
| Medicaid | 3.69 | 3.57 |
| Long-term care insurance | 11.41 | 10.86 |
| Couple's net worth | ||
| Low | 13.45 | |
| Middle | 33.98 | |
| High | 52.57 | |
| Sample size | 2,116 | 2,116 |
Notes: aPercentages shown for dummy variables; means shown for continuous variables; standard errors are in parenthesis. ADL = activities of daily living; IADL = instrumental activities of daily living.