Table 2.
Ordered logistic models of SRH on select predictors, NHIS 1997–2009 (N=76,636).
| Model 1 | Model 2 | Model 3 | Model 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Education (ref.=HS diploma) | ||||
| HS dropouts | 2.14*** | 2.05*** | 1.56*** | 1.45*** |
| GED | 1.96*** | 1.88*** | 1.55*** | 1.39*** |
| Control variables | ||||
| Age | 1.04*** | 1.04*** | 1.03*** | 1.03*** |
| Female | 1.11*** | 1.12*** | 0.90*** | 0.92*** |
| Race/ethnicity (ref.=NH white) | ||||
| Black | 1.57*** | 1.38*** | 1.17*** | 1.17*** |
| Hispanic | 1.12*** | 1.14*** | 1.06 | 1.09* |
| Other | 1.39*** | 1.36*** | 1.19** | 1.12 |
| Year of interview | 1.03*** | 1.03*** | 1.03*** | 1.02*** |
| Marital status (ref.=married) | ||||
| Widowed | 1.20*** | 0.88*** | 0.88*** | |
| Divorced | 1.41*** | 1.24*** | 1.22*** | |
| Never married | 1.48*** | 1.17*** | 1.18*** | |
| Unknown | 1.03 | 0.85* | 0.88 | |
| Region (ref.=South) | ||||
| Northeast | 0.84*** | 0.86*** | 0.87*** | |
| North Central | 0.94** | 0.96 | 0.95* | |
| West | 0.82*** | 0.81*** | 0.84*** | |
| Health insurance (ref.=insured) | ||||
| Uninsured | 1.10*** | 0.90*** | 0.91*** | |
| Unknown | 1.17 | 0.99 | 1.02 | |
| Economic factors | ||||
| Family income | 0.80*** | 0.82*** | ||
| Employment (ref.=employed) | ||||
| Unemployed | 1.29*** | 1.27*** | ||
| Not in LF | 2.79*** | 2.71*** | ||
| Unknown | 0.98 | 1.06 | ||
| Body weight (ref=not obese) | ||||
| Obese | 1.88*** | |||
| Unknown | 1.51*** | |||
| Smoking (ref.=never smoked) | ||||
| Past smoker | 1.23*** | |||
| Current smoker | 1.72*** | |||
| Unknown | 1.19 | |||
| Alcohol use (ref.=current use) | ||||
| Never | 1.20*** | |||
| Former | 1.48*** | |||
| Unknown | 1.09 | |||
| Cutpoints | ||||
| 1 | −1.03 | −0.97 | −1.81 | −1.22 |
| 2 | 0.44 | 0.51 | −0.25 | 0.37 |
| 3 | 1.99 | 2.08 | 1.46 | 2.13 |
| 4 | 3.52 | 3.62 | 3.11 | 3.81 |
*
p<.05,
**
p<.01,
***
p<.001
When we re-estimate these models with GED as the omitted education category, the results show that HS dropouts have 9% higher odds of ‘worse’ health than GED recipients in Models 1 and 2 (p<.01); there are no significant difference between GEDs and dropouts in Models 3 and 4.