Health disparities across education: The role of differential reporting error. (6th December 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Choi, Anna; Cawley, John
• Is Part Of: Health economics. Volume 27:Number 3(2018)
• Page Start: e1
• Page End: e29
• Publication Date: 2017-12-06
• Subjects: diabetes -- obesity -- smoking; Medical economics -- Periodicals; Economics, Medical -- Periodicals; Health Care Costs -- Periodicals; Health Policy -- economics -- Periodicals; Health Services -- economics -- Periodicals; 362.1
• DOI: 10.1002/hec.3609
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1057-9230

Abstract

Abstract: One of the most robust findings in health economics is that higher educated individuals tend to be in better health. This paper tests whether health disparities across education are to some extent due to differences in reporting error across education. We test this hypothesis using data from the pooled National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) for 1999–2012, which include both self‐reports and objective verification for an extensive set of health behaviors and conditions, including smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. We find that college graduates are more likely to give false negative reports of obesity and high total cholesterol; one possible explanation for this is social desirability bias. However, college graduates are also significantly less likely to give false positive reports of smoking, obesity, and high cholesterol. Because there are far more truly negative people (who are less likely to give a false positive report) than more truly positive people (who are more likely to give a false negative report), we find that college graduates report their health significantly more accurately overall.