Working Paper: NBER ID: w20993
Authors: Thomas Goldring; Fabian Lange; Seth Richards-Shubik
Abstract: We develop a flexible test for changes in the SES-mortality gradient over time that directly accounts for changes in the distribution of education, the most commonly used marker of SES. We implement the test for the period between 1984 and 2006 using microdata from the Census, CPS, and NHIS linked to death records. Using our flexible test, we find that the evidence for a change in the education-mortality gradient is not as strong and universal as previous research has suggested. Our results indicate that the gradient increased for females during this time period, but we cannot rule out that the gradient among males has not changed. Informally, the results suggest that the changes for females are mainly driven by the bottom of the education distribution.
Keywords: SES; mortality gradient; education distribution; health disparities
JEL Codes: I14; J11
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Higher education (I23) | Lower mortality rates (I14) |
| Education-mortality gradient increased for females between 1984 and 2006 (I24) | Changes at the bottom of the education distribution (I24) |
| Widening SES-mortality gradient for females (I14) | Lack of progress in reducing mortality rates among less educated women (I14) |
| No change in SES-mortality gradient for males (I14) | Weak evidence for change (C90) |