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# Trends in the Educational Gradient of U.S. Adult Mortality From 1986 Through 2006 by Race, Gender, and Age Group

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Jennifer Karas Montez
Jennifer Karas Montez
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, jennkaras@prc.utexas.edu
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Robert A. Hummer
Robert A. Hummer
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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Mark D. Hayward
Mark D. Hayward
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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Hyeyoung Woo
Hyeyoung Woo
Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
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Richard G. Rogers
Richard G. Rogers
University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
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First Published February 7, 2011 Articles
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0164027510392388

#### Article Information

Volume: 33 issue: 2, page(s): 145-171
Article first published online: February 7, 2011;Issue published: March 1, 2011
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027510392388
Jennifer Karas Montez
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, jennkaras@prc.utexas.edu
Robert A. Hummer
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
Mark D. Hayward
University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
Hyeyoung Woo
Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
Richard G. Rogers
University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA

## Abstract

The educational gradient of U.S. adult mortality became steeper between 1960 and the mid-1980s, but whether it continued to steepen is less clear given a dearth of attention to these trends since then. This study provides new evidence on trends in the education-mortality gradient from 1986 through 2006 by race, gender, and age among non-Hispanic Whites and Blacks using data from the 2010 release of the National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality File. Results show that for White and Black men, the gradient steepened among older ages because declines in mortality risk across education levels were greater among the higher educated. The gradient steepened among White women, and to a lesser extent among Black women, because mortality risk decreased among the college-educated but increased among women with less than a high school diploma. Greater returns to higher education and compositional changes within educational strata likely contributed to the trends.

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#### Trends in the Educational Gradient of U.S. Adult Mortality From 1986 Through 2006 by Race, Gender, and Age Group

Jennifer Karas Montez University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, jennkaras@prc.utexas.edu Robert A. Hummer University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA Mark D. Hayward University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA Hyeyoung Woo Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA Richard G. Rogers University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA

Research on Aging

Vol 33, Issue 2, pp. 145 - 171

First published date: February-07-2011

10.1177/0164027510392388

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Trends in the Educational Gradient of U.S. Adult Mortality From 1986 Through 2006 by Race, Gender, and Age Group
Jennifer Karas Montez Robert A. Hummer Mark D. Hayward Hyeyoung Woo Richard G. Rogers
Research on Aging 2011 33:2, 145-171

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