Education and Physical Status Transitions among American Adults: Examining Onset and Progression of Physical Disorder

Zachary Zimmer, Population Council
James S. House, University of Michigan

This study employs transition analyses to determine whether and how education impacts on physical status across two waves of the Americans' Changing Life survey. Physical status is defined two ways: function and daily limitation. Individuals are separated into three originating states (no, mild and severe problems), and five outcome states (originating states plus dying and loss to follow-up). Multinomial regressions determine education's impact on these outcomes. The first procedure treats originating samples separately. The next pools samples and tests for interactions between originating state and education. The latter is employed to determine whether the consequences of education are a function of originating state. Results appear consistent with the notion that onset and progression of physical status disorder depend upon different sets of characteristics. Education's impact on mortality is also found to differ across originating states. Findings help explain mechanisms driving an education - health relationship that has proven to be robust.