Citation
Montez, Jennifer Karas; Hayward, Mark D.; Brown, Dustin C.; & Hummer, Robert A. (2009). Why Is the Educational Gradient of Mortality Steeper for Men?. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 64B(5), 625-634. PMCID: PMC2728089Abstract
Objectives: It is often documented that the educational gradient of mortality is steeper for men than for women; yet, the explanation remains a matter of debate. We examine gender differences in the gradients within the context of marriage to determine whether overall differences reflect gender differences in health behaviors or a greater influence of men's education on spousal health.Methods: We used data from the 1986 through 1996 National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality Files for non-Hispanic White adults aged 55-84 years at the time of survey. We estimated Cox proportional hazards models to examine the gradients (N = 180,208).
Results: The educational gradient of mortality is marginally steeper for men than for women when aggregating across marital statuses; yet, this reflects a steeper gradient among unmarried men, with low-educated never married men exhibiting high levels of mortality. The gradient among unmarried men is steeper than unmarried women for causes that share smoking as a major risk factor, supporting a behavioral explanation for differences in the gradient. No gender difference in the gradient is observed for married adults.
Discussion: Low education and unmarried status exert a synergistic effect on men's mortality. Unmarried, low-educated men may lack social supports that encourage positive health behaviors.
URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbp013Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2009Journal Title
Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social SciencesAuthor(s)
Montez, Jennifer KarasHayward, Mark D.
Brown, Dustin C.
Hummer, Robert A.