Trends in self-rated health by union status and education, 2000–2018

Previous research has documented changes in health differentials by marital status over time. However, recent shifts in family patterns and continuing socioeconomic changes necessitate analyses of more recent changes in union status and self-rated health. Using pooled data from the 2000–2018 National Health Interview Survey (n = 788,829), this study examines educational differences in trends in self-rated health among married, cohabiting, previously-married, and never-married adults. The results of a series of logistic regression models show increasing divergence in self-rated health by union status and by education, driven mostly by declining self-assessed health in middle educational strata (high school graduate and some college), and among single adults, particularly never-married adults. The findings add to the growing evidence of increasing social class divide in family and health outcomes. Evolving trends in self-rated health by union status and education have important implications for programs promoting health and wellbeing across families.