Why Have Educational Disparities in Mortality Increased Among White Women in the United States?

Since the mid-1980s differences in mortality risk across education levels have widened considerably among non-Hispanic white women. For example, while mortality has declined among college-educated women, it has remained fairly stable among women with a high school credential or some college education and increased among women without a high school credential. The reasons for the growing mortality gap are poorly understood. The authors investigated whether the widening gap reflected a growing importance of educational attainment for economic well-being (e.g., employment, income), psychosocial resources (e.g., marriage, mental health), or health behaviors, such as avoiding tobacco and maintaining a healthy body weight.