Racial Differences in the Association between Socioeconomic Position and Mortality: Does Occupation Matter?
Caroline Smith, Portland State University
Hyeyoung Woo, Portland State University
Differential rates of mortality between blacks and whites persist in the United States. Studies are increasingly focusing on socioeconomic factors to help explain the inequality in rates of mortality between blacks and whites. The purpose of this study is to examine the association of SEP on mortality rate differentials between non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black adults with an emphasis on occupational factors. National Health Interview Survey data from 1986 through 1994 was matched with the National Death Index, from 1986 through 2002. Occupations (using Census occupation codes) were then matched to occupational level data in the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Information Network database to obtain occupation level psychosocial and physical risk factors. Our results show that while there are distinct contributions of education, income and occupation on mortality risk, occupation is clearly worth studying in relation to mortality outcomes, specifically in the differences between non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black populations.
Presented in Session 39: Adult Mortality