title: Educational and Gender Differences in Health Behavior Changes After a Gateway Diagnosis.
abstract: Hypertension represents a gateway diagnosis to more serious health problems that occur as people age. We examine educational differences in three health behavior changes people often make after receiving this diagnosis in middle or older age, and test whether these educational differences depend on (a) the complexity of the health behavior change and (b) gender.
  
  
  
  We use data from the Health and Retirement Study and conduct logistic regression analysis to examine the likelihood of modifying health behaviors post diagnosis.
  
  
  
  We find educational differences in three behavior changes-antihypertensive medication use, smoking cessation, and physical activity initiation-after a hypertension diagnosis. These educational differences in health behaviors were stronger among women compared with men.
  
  
  
  Upon receiving a hypertension diagnosis, education is a more important predictor of behavior changes for women compared with men, which may help explain gender differences in the socioeconomic gradient in health in the United States.
authors.affiliation: 1 Indiana University, Bloomington, USA.
authors.forename: Elaine M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Hernandez
authors.affiliation: 2 University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Margolis
authors.affiliation: 3 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hummer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004522:Educational Status; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012179:Retirement / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Health and Retirement Study; education; gender; health behavior changes; hypertension