NCES

National Center for

Education Statistics

INDICATOR 12

Education and Health

The indicator and corresponding tables are taken directly from The Condition of Education 2004.
Therefore, the page numbers may not be sequential.

Additional information about the survey data and supplementary notes can be found in the full
report. For a copy of The Condition of Education 2004 visit the NCES web site
([Link] or contact ED PUBs at 1-877-4ED-PUBS.

Suggested Citation:
Wirt, J., Choy, S., Rooney, P., Provasnik, S., Sen, A., and Tobin, R. (2004). The Condition of Education
2004 (NCES 2004-077). U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.
Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

U.S. Department of Education

Institute of Education Sciences
NCES 2004-077
Section 2—Learner Outcomes Indicator 12

Social and Cultural Outcomes

Education and Health
The better educated a person is, the more likely that person is to report being in
“excellent” or “very good” health, regardless of income.

Education and health are positively related. poor (100–199 percent of poverty level) and 69
In the National Health Interview Survey, the percent of nonpoor (twice the poverty level)
National Center for Health Statistics annually people. Age is inversely related to health: as age
surveys people concerning their health. One increases, the likelihood of reporting being in
question asks respondents to rate their own excellent or very good health decreases.
health. In 2001, the better educated a person
was, the more likely that person was to report Education remains positively related to health,
being in “excellent” or “very good” health. independent of the relationship between health
Among adults age 25 and above, 78 percent and either family income, age, or poverty sta-
of those with a bachelor’s degree or higher re- tus. For example, within each income range,
ported being in excellent or very good health, people with a bachelor’s degree or higher re-
compared with 66 percent of those with some ported being in better health than people with
education beyond high school, 56 percent of some education beyond high school, who, in
high school completers, and 39 percent of turn, reported being in better health than high
those with less than a high school education school completers. Those with less than a high
(see supplemental table 12-1). school education reported being less healthy
than their peers with more education. In 2001,
Family income, age, and poverty status are also among all adults age 25 and above with a fam-
related to health. The more family income a ily income between $20,000 and $34,999, 72
person has and the farther above the poverty percent with a bachelor’s degree or higher re-
level, the more likely that person is to report ported being in excellent or very good health,
being in excellent or very good health. In 2001, compared with 58 percent of those with some
40 percent of people living below the poverty education beyond high school, 50 percent of
threshold reported being in excellent or very high school completers, and 39 percent of those
good health, compared with 46 percent of near- with less than a high school education.

NOTE:Includes those who responded “excellent” or

EDUCATION AND HEALTH: Percentage of the population age 25 and above who reported being in excellent or very good “very good” on a scale of “excellent,” “very good,”
health, by educational attainment and family income: 2001 “good,” “fair,” and “poor.”
������� SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human
��� Services, Centers for Disease Control, National
Center for Health Statistics, National Health
Interview Survey, 2001, previously unpublished
��
tabulation (October 2003).

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Supplemental Notes 1, 3
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Supplemental Table 12-1
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Page 52 | The Condition of Education 2004

 Indicator 12 Appendix 1 Supplemental Tables

Education and Health

Table 12-1. Percentage of respondents age 25 and above who reported being in excellent or very good health, by educational attainment and selected
characteristics: 2001
Some college,
High school including Bachelor’s
Less than diploma vocational/ degree
Characteristic high school or equivalent technical or higher Total
Total 39.0 56.2 65.9 78.4 61.2
Sex
Male 42.0 58.6 67.2 78.7 63.1
Female 36.3 54.2 64.8 78.1 59.5
Family income
Less than $20,000 29.9 39.8 45.6 65.3 39.3
$20,000–34,999 38.9 50.3 57.9 71.5 52.3
$35,000–54,999 49.3 62.3 67.1 73.4 64.3
$55,000–74,999 56.9 66.7 74.1 79.6 72.1
$75,000 or more 61.2 71.2 76.6 83.3 78.3
Poverty status1
Poor 30.7 40.3 48.9 65.8 39.5
Near-poor 36.7 46.7 52.2 67.1 46.3
Nonpoor 47.4 62.6 70.6 79.8 69.2
Race/ethnicity2
American Indian 36.6 48.7 62.9 67.1 50.7
Asian 44.4 50.6 63.9 74.8 64.2
Black 33.1 49.7 57.8 69.8 51.1
White 36.6 57.1 67.4 79.7 63.4
Hispanic 47.0 60.4 65.0 76.1 56.8
Age
25–34 61.6 70.9 77.1 87.7 76.1
35–44 50.6 65.7 72.6 83.8 70.6
45–54 36.3 54.9 64.0 77.8 61.8
55–64 29.8 46.9 56.3 71.4 51.8
65 and above 25.9 39.5 44.2 55.1 38.1
Metropolitan status area
2.5 million and above 43.0 58.6 64.8 78.5 63.3
1–2.49 million 42.4 58.2 66.8 80.0 64.4
Under 1 million 38.3 55.4 65.8 77.9 60.9
Nonmetropolitan area 33.3 53.8 66.0 75.7 55.7
Region
Northeast 40.9 58.0 65.3 78.3 62.5
Midwest 33.6 56.5 66.7 79.0 61.5
South 38.0 54.3 65.0 78.1 59.1
West 44.0 57.5 66.7 78.3 63.5
1
“Near-poor” is defined as 100–199 percent of the poverty level, and “nonpoor” is defined as twice the poverty level. See supplemental note 1 for more information on poverty.
2
American Indian includes Alaska Native, Asian includes Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian, Black includes African American, and Hispanic includes Latino. Racial categories exclude Hispanic origin. Other race/ethnicities are
included in the total but are not shown separately.
NOTE: Includes those who responded “excellent” or “very good” from a scale of “excellent,”“very good,”“good,”“fair,” and “poor.” See supplemental note 1 for more information on metropolitan status area and region.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2001, previously unpublished tabulation (October 2003).

The Condition of Education 2004 | Page 131

Appendix 3 Standard Error Tables Indicators 12

Education and Health

Table S12. Standard errors for the percentage of the population age 25 and above who reported being in excellent or very good health, by educational
attainment and family income: 2001

Some college,
High school including Bachelor’s
Less than diploma vocational/ degree
Family income high school or equivalent technical or higher
Less than $20,000 0.87 1.01 1.34 1.98
$20,000–34,999 1.38 1.11 1.24 1.53
$35,000–54,999 1.76 1.07 1.10 1.23
$55,000–74,999 2.69 1.30 1.06 1.08
$75,000 or more 2.67 1.33 0.90 0.63
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2001, previously unpublished tabulation (October 2003).

Page 250 | The Condition of Education 2004

 Indicator 12 Standard Error Tables for Supplemental Tables

Education and Health

Table S12-1. Standard errors for the percentage of respondents age 25 and above who reported being in excellent or very good health, by educational
attainment and selected characteristics: 2001

Some college,
High school including Bachelor’s
Less than diploma vocational/ degree
Characteristic high school or equivalent technical or higher Total
Total 0.64 0.48 0.46 0.42 0.32
Sex
Male 0.84 0.60 0.58 0.52 0.35
Female 0.73 0.54 0.58 0.57 0.36
Family income
Less than $20,000 0.87 1.01 1.34 1.98 0.67
$20,000–34,999 1.38 1.11 1.24 1.53 0.74
$35,000–54,999 1.76 1.07 1.10 1.23 0.64
$55,000–74,999 2.69 1.30 1.06 1.08 0.73
$75,000 or more 2.67 1.33 0.90 0.63 0.53
Poverty status
Poor 1.31 1.69 2.11 3.16 1.07
Near-poor 1.18 1.27 1.40 2.24 0.79
Nonpoor 1.08 0.64 0.55 0.52 0.37
Race/ethnicity
American Indian 6.39 5.41 5.91 10.13 3.24
Asian 4.30 3.24 3.17 1.96 1.49
Black 1.52 1.14 1.18 1.65 0.80
White 0.87 0.56 0.53 0.47 0.37
Hispanic 1.12 1.11 1.22 1.52 0.72
Age
25–34 1.37 0.98 0.82 0.66 0.48
35–44 1.23 0.81 0.78 0.62 0.49
45–54 1.31 0.98 0.90 0.81 0.52
55–64 1.26 1.16 1.20 1.25 0.68
65 and above 0.88 0.94 1.33 1.36 0.63
Metropolitan status area
2.5 million and above 1.33 1.05 0.88 0.76 0.62
1–2.49 million 1.47 0.87 0.89 0.75 0.58
Under 1 million 1.18 0.92 0.86 0.78 0.61
Nonmetropolitan area 1.14 0.93 1.14 1.33 0.68
Region
Northeast 1.78 1.02 0.95 0.99 0.72
Midwest 1.26 0.90 0.89 0.96 0.67
South 0.95 0.86 0.83 0.69 0.54
West 1.38 1.09 0.94 0.80 0.63
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, National Center for Health Statistics, National Health Interview Survey, 2001, previously unpublished tabulation (October 2003).

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