Table 1. Sociodemographic Characteristics of US Adults Aged 65 Years or Older by National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Cycles, 2001-2018.
| Characteristica | Count, No. (survey-weighted %)b | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-2002 | 2003-2004 | 2005-2006 | 2007-2008 | 2009-2010 | 2011-2012 | 2013-2014 | 2015-2016 | 2017-2018 | |
| No. | 1155 | 1296 | 1047 | 1396 | 1379 | 1030 | 1105 | 1209 | 1220 |
| Age group, y | |||||||||
| 65-69 | 292 (30.8) | 328 (30.3) | 285 (31.8) | 373 (30.2) | 382 (32.8) | 307 (32.4) | 367 (36.2) | 378 (37.5) | 388 (35.4) |
| 70-74 | 292 (25.3) | 310 (26.8) | 263 (26.3) | 364 (24.5) | 370 (25.8) | 258 (27.2) | 293 (26.6) | 302 (24.4) | 317 (27.3) |
| 75-79 | 208 (20.6) | 243 (20.2) | 188 (19.5) | 301 (21.0) | 255 (17.3) | 186 (16.6) | 174 (16.0) | 219 (17.1) | 207 (18.1) |
| ≥80 | 363 (23.3) | 415 (22.7) | 311 (22.4) | 358 (24.3) | 372 (24.1) | 279 (23.7) | 271 (21.2) | 310 (21.0) | 308 (19.3) |
| Sex | |||||||||
| Female | 585 (56.6) | 650 (55.8) | 499 (56.8) | 708 (56.3) | 691 (54.8) | 506 (54.1) | 575 (54.2) | 615 (56.6) | 594 (54.7) |
| Male | 570 (43.4) | 646 (44.2) | 548 (43.2) | 688 (43.7) | 688 (45.2) | 524 (45.9) | 530 (45.8) | 594 (43.4) | 626 (45.3) |
| Race and ethnicity | |||||||||
| Hispanic | 200 (7.0) | 270 (5.5) | 133 (4.5) | 258 (6.4) | 260 (6.5) | 148 (6.2) | 187 (6.7) | 334 (7.5) | 196 (7.9) |
| Non-Hispanic | |||||||||
| Black | 171 (7.5) | 163 (7.9) | 200 (8.5) | 241 (8.0) | 213 (8.1) | 256 (8.4) | 198 (7.6) | 196 (7.2) | 272 (8.5) |
| White | 770 (84.2) | 830 (83.2) | 692 (84.4) | 862 (82.6) | 856 (81.6) | 527 (79.6) | 624 (80.7) | 565 (78.6) | 613 (77.7) |
| Otherc | 14 (1.3) | 33 (3.3) | 22 (2.6) | 35 (3.1) | 50 (3.7) | 99 (5.8) | 96 (5.0) | 114 (6.7) | 139 (5.8) |
| Educational level | |||||||||
| Total No. | 1152 | 1290 | 1046 | 1393 | 1375 | 1027 | 1104 | 1207 | 1215 |
| <High school diploma | 449 (30.4) | 533 (29.0) | 380 (27.2) | 539 (28.5) | 477 (24.7) | 256 (23.1) | 279 (16.9) | 353 (15.2) | 280 (12.3) |
| High school graduate or GED | 269 (27.2) | 321 (30.8) | 293 (30.7) | 364 (29.3) | 307 (24.5) | 226 (22.2) | 259 (21.9) | 265 (22.6) | 299 (27.2) |
| Some college | 249 (22.4) | 251 (22.4) | 209 (22.4) | 260 (21.5) | 336 (27.4) | 256 (29.7) | 298 (31.4) | 334 (32.7) | 361 (26.2) |
| College degree or higher | 185 (20.0) | 185 (17.8) | 164 (19.7) | 230 (20.7) | 255 (23.4) | 189 (25.0) | 268 (29.8) | 255 (29.6) | 275 (34.5) |
| Marital status | |||||||||
| Married or living with partner | 751 (54.6) | 804 (57.2) | 631 (56.2) | 831 (56.8) | 853 (61.9) | 667 (60.7) | 716 (64.0) | 737 (59.6) | 822 (60.4) |
| Widowed | 523 (32.9) | 503 (30.9) | 381 (30.1) | 456 (28.9) | 452 (26.7) | 357 (24.3) | 349 (24.1) | 333 (22.1) | 350 (22.2) |
| Divorced or separated | 135 (9.2) | 132 (8.8) | 137 (10.9) | 196 (11.0) | 166 (8.5) | 162 (11.2) | 187 (12.0) | 239 (14.1) | 262 (14.8) |
| Never married | 47 (3.3) | 54 (3.1) | 36 (2.4) | 72 (3.3) | 52 (2.9) | 61 (3.7) | 53 (3.4) | 68 (4.0) | 63 (2.5) |
| Ratio of family income to poverty leveld | |||||||||
| Total No. | 1061 | 1218 | 978 | 1260 | 1252 | 928 | 1035 | 1042 | 1072 |
| <1.30e | 306 (24.7) | 357 (20.0) | 254 (18.8) | 361 (19.5) | 341 (18.5) | 317 (20.4) | 306 (19.0) | 338 (18.4) | 237 (11.5) |
| 1.30 to <1.85 | 165 (13.6) | 212 (15.6) | 165 (15.2) | 234 (18.1) | 183 (12.5) | 140 (12.6) | 144 (13.0) | 184 (12.4) | 222 (12.8) |
| 1.85 to <3.00 | 251 (23.9) | 289 (26.6) | 244 (27.2) | 317 (27.8) | 272 (22.2) | 181 (23.8) | 203 (20.6) | 202 (18.8) | 242 (21.3) |
| ≥3.00f | 339 (37.8) | 360 (37.8) | 315 (38.8) | 348 (34.6) | 456 (46.9) | 290 (43.2) | 382 (47.4) | 318 (50.3) | 371 (54.3) |
Abbreviation: GED, General Educational Development certification.
a
The numbers may not sum to the total number of participants owing to missing data.
b
The percentages were weighted.
c
Includes non-Hispanic Asian and multiracial individuals.
d
Represents the ratio of family income to the federal poverty threshold, adjusting for household size. For reference, the federal threshold in 2012 for a family of 4 was $23 492 per year. A family of 4 earning $42 460 per year would have a ratio of 1.85.
e
A lower level of income.
f
A higher level of income.