Intercohort trends in the relationship between education and health: examining physical impairment and depressive symptomatology.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines whether educational differentials in functional and mental health are greater in more recent cohorts in the United States.


METHODS
This study utilizes latent growth-curve modeling to examine intercohort trends in physical impairment and depressive symptomatology for three educational subgroups, using panel data (1986-1994) based on a national probability sample of 3,617 U.S. adults.


RESULTS
Among those with less than a high school diploma, the 8-year newer cohort demonstrated higher physical impairment at the same age, implying an unfavorable trend. College graduates and high school graduates enjoyed favorable trends in mental health, and the trends were different across age groups within certain educational groups.


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides evidence that the education-based disparity in health is increasing, but there are variations in the trend depending on health outcomes. These results argue for the necessity of examining trends in education and health using diverse health outcomes.
Kim
Jinyoung
J
Health and Behavioral Sciences Department, University of Colorado Denver, Campus Box 188, P.O. Box 173364, Denver, CO 80217-3364, USA. jinyoung.kim@cudenver.edu
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004522:Educational Status; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015233:Models, Statistical; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States