Table 2.

Ranking of the Functional Forms of the Association between Educational Attainment and U.S. Adult Mortality, Non-Hispanic Whites, aged 45–84.

	2000–2006 NHIS.a		2000–2011 NHIS.
	National		National		Midwest		Northeast		South		West
	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
1. Semi-Parametric	11	12	11	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13	13
2. Continuous (ed)	9	10	9	10	2	7	4	2	5	6	4	1
Step changes with zero slopes
3. lths +hs, sc +co	13	13	12	12	12	12	12	9	12	12	11	5
4. lths, hs, sc +co	12	9	13	9	11	8	9	6	11	2	12	7
5. lths, hs + sc, co	8	7	6	3	1	1	1	1	3	5	1	2
6. lths, hs, sc, co	7	2	2	2	3	3	3	4	4	3	2	3
Step changes with constant, nonzero slopes
7. ed, lths +hs, sc +co	4	4	4	4	7	5	7	7	7	8	7	10
8. ed, lths, hs, sc +co	10	8	10	8	9	10	10	10	10	4	10	9
9. ed, lths, hs + sc, co	1	3	1	6	4	4	5	5	2	7	3	6
10. ed, lths, hs, sc, co	5	5	5	5	8	6	8	8	8	9	8	11
Step changes with varying slopes
11. ed, lths +hs, sc +co, ed x (lths +hs), ed x (sc +co)	6	11	8	11	6	11	6	11	6	11	5	8
12. ed, lths, hs +co, ed x lths, ed x (hs +sc), ed x co	3	6	7	7	10	9	11	12	9	10	9	12
13. ed, lths, ed x lths	2	1	3	1	5	2	2	3	1	1	6	4

Source: National Health Interview Survey, 2000–2009. Linked Mortality File through end of 2011.

^aEstimates from Hayward et al. 2015, Table 2.

Notes: Data are not weighted. All models account for age. Top Three Specifications are highlighted.

Notes: ed = continuous educational attainment. lths = less than high school. hs = high school. sc = some college. co = college. X denotes an interaction.