Table 2.
Sociodemographic Characteristics of U.S. Older Adults Aged ≥65 Years Stratified by Poverty Status and Race/Ethnicity (NHANES 2005–2008).
| Characteristic | Poverty | Not in poverty | P-value | White | Black | Hispanic | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, mean ± SE (years) | 74.1 ± 0.4 | 73.9 ± 0.2 | 0.64 | 74.1 ± 0.2 | 73.3 ± 0.3 | 72.6 ± 0.4 | <0.001 |
| Female sex (%) | 64.2 | 56.9 | 0.02 | 57.4 | 60.3 | 54.3 | 0.31 |
| Race/ethnicity (%) | <0.001 | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| Non-Hispanic White | 60.1 | 88.0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 21.4 | 7.3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Other Hispanic and Mexican-American | 18.5 | 4.7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | |
| Education <high school (%) | 60.4 | 25.3 | <0.001 | 23.4 | 52.1 | 65.7 | <0.001 |
| Widowed/divorced/separated/never married (%) | 69.6 | 40.4 | <0.001 | 40.4 | 62.6 | 46.8 | <0.001 |
| <100% federal poverty level (%) | -- | -- | -- | 6.2 | 22.1 | 27.4 | <0.001 |
| Lack of health insurance (%) | 6.3 | 1.2 | <0.001 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 11.3 | <0.001 |
| Modified Charlson co-morbidity index, mean ± SE | 0.91 ± 0.08 | 1.13 ± 0.04 | 0.008 | 1.15 ± 0.04 | 1.02 ± 0.06 | 0.74 ± 0.06 | <0.001 |
SE = standard error