Table 1 Summary of data sources, sample, measures of socioeconomic status (SES), and health indicators used to examine income and education disparities in health
Data source (Place, Years) | Age groups (Age; Sample size) | Racial/ethnic groups (Sample size) | Measures of SES | Health indicators |
|---|---|---|---|---|
National Health Interview Survey (US, 2015–2018) | Children (2–17 y; n = 75,111), Young and middle-aged adults (25–64 y; n = 181,447), Older adults (≥ 65 y; n = 57,753) | Non-Hispanic Blacks (Children: 10,345, Young and middle-aged adults: 21,235, Older adults: 5,457), Hispanic (Children: 19,462, Young and middle-aged adults: 31,150, Older adults: 4,566), Non-Hispanic White (Children: 39,438, Young and middle-aged adults: 114,331, Older adults: 44,461), Non-Hispanic Asian (Children: 4,378, Young and middle-aged adults: 12,014, Older adults: 2,716) | Family income as a percentage of federal poverty level (FPL), educational attainment (for child indicators, head of household; for adult indicators, individual) | Respondent-rated poor health: ‘‘poor,’’ ‘‘fair,’’ or ‘‘good’’ health vs ‘‘very good’’ or ‘‘excellent’’ health Obesity: respondent-assessed body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 |
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (US, 2017-March 2020) | Children (2–17 y; n = 4,292), Young and middle-aged adults (25–64 y; n = 5,233), Older adults (≥ 65 y; n = 2,022) | Non-Hispanic Black (Children: 1,122, Young and middle-aged adults: 1,434, Older adults: 462), Hispanic (Children: 964, Young and middle-aged adults: 1,167), Non-Hispanic White (Children: 1,434, Young and middle-aged adults: 1,623, Older adults: 1,064) | Family income as a percentage of FPL, educational attainment (for adult indicators only) | Respondent-rated poor health: ‘‘poor,’’ ‘‘fair,’’ or ‘‘good’’ health vs ‘‘very good’’ or ‘‘excellent’’ health Obesity: objectively measured body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 |
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (US, 2016–2020) | Young and middle-aged adults (25–64 y; n = 424,595), Older adults (≥ 65 y; n = 268,949) | Non-Hispanic Black (Young and middle-aged adults: 34,951, Older adults: 16,296), Hispanic (Young and middle-aged adults: 44,542, Older adults: 10,344), Non-Hispanic Asian (Young and middle-aged adults: 302,223, Older adults: 224,734), Non-Hispanic White (Young and middle-aged adults: 11,475, Older adults: 3,237) | Educational attainment | Respondent-rated poor health: ‘‘poor,’’ ‘‘fair,’’ or ‘‘good’’ health vs ‘‘very good’’ or ‘‘excellent’’ health Obesity: respondent-assessed body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 |
Health and Retirement Study (US, 2016) | Older adults (age ≥ 65 y; n = 9,539) | Non-Hispanic Black/African American (n = 1,589), Hispanic (n = 1,076), Non-Hispanic White/Caucasian (n = 6,874) | Household income as a percentage of FPL, Educational attainment | Respondent-rated poor health: “poor,” “fair,” or “good,” health vs “very good,” or “excellent” health Obesity: respondent-assessed body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 |