Changes in Self-Rated Health Status by Demographic Characteristics among Adults, 2014-2017

Self-rated health status (SRH) is commonly used within population surveys and has been correlated with mortality risk among other outcomes. Self-rated health varies by sex, age, and race and Hispanic origin within populations, but less is known about how these characteristics intersect to produce health outcomes. Understanding how health changes are distributed across subpopulations by age provides insight into how these health disparities may unfold.

We use data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to explore interactions between sex, age, and race and Hispanic origin, and changes in health status in the United States over time. Specifically, we conduct descriptive analyses and estimate multivariate logistic regression models to examine health status changes of adults between 2014 and 2017 by these three key demographic characteristics. We then estimate sex-stratified models including interaction terms for age and race/Hispanic origin, to observe how these demographic characteristics intersect.