Context: Public health agencies have identified the elimination of health disparities as a major policy objective.
Objective: The primary objective of this study is to assess changes in the association between education and premature adult mortality in Wisconsin, 1990-2000.
Design, setting, and subjects: Wisconsin death records (numerators) and US Census data (denominators) were compiled to estimate mortality rates among adults (25-64 years) in 1990 and 2000. Information on the educational status, sex, racial identification, and age of subjects was gathered from these sources.
Main outcome measure: The effect of education on mortality rate ratios in 1990 and 2000 was assessed while adjusting for age, sex, and racial identification.
Results: Education exhibited a graded effect on mortality rates, which declined most among college graduates from 1990 to 2000. The relative rate of mortality among persons with less than a high school education compared to persons with a college degree increased from 2.4 to 3.1 from 1990-2000-an increase of 29%. Mortality disparities also increased, although to a lesser extent, among other educational groups.
Conclusion: Despite renewed calls for the elimination of health disparities, evidence suggests that educational disparities in mortality increased from 1990 to 2000.