VALIDITY OF EDUCATION INFORMATION ON THE DEATH CERTIFICATE

We compared education as recorded on the death certificate with educat ion ascertained before death from a household survey of 10,423 persons age 25 years or more who died in 1989. There was a tendency for the d ecedent's education to be reported at a higher level on the death cert ificate than at baseline. Of those who were reported as high school gr aduates on the death certificate, 38% reported that they had less than a high school education at baseline. The bias was more pronounced in older than younger decedents.