EDUCATIONAL DIFFERENTIALS IN MORTALITY - UNITED-STATES, 1979-85

The paper examines educational differentials in adult mortality in the United States within a multivariate framework using data from the Nat ional Longitudinal Mortality Survey (NLMS). As a preliminary step we c ompare the magnitude of educational mortality differentials in the Uni ted States to those documented in Europe. At ages 35-54, the proportio nate reductions in mortality for each one year increase in schooling a re similar in the United States to those documented in Europe. The ana lyses further reveal significant educational differentials in U.S. mor tality among both men and women in the early 1980s. Differentials are larger for men and for working ages than for women and persons age 65 and above. These differentials persist but are reduced in magnitude wh en controls for income, marital status and current place of residence are introduced.