Education and Health : Evaluating Theories and Evidence / David M. Cutler & Adriana Lleras-Muney.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Cutler, David M., author.

Lleras-Muney, Adriana, 1974- author.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) ; no. w12352.

NBER working paper series ; no. w12352

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Health promotion.

Health--Social aspects.

Health.

Youth--Employment.

Youth.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (37 pages) : illustrations (black and white).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Massachusetts : National Bureau of Economic Research, 2006.

Summary:

There is a large and persistent association between education and health. In this paper, we review what is known about this link. We first document the facts about the relationship between education and health. The education 'gradient' is found for both health behaviors and health status, though the former does not fully explain the latter. The effect of education increases with increasing years of education, with no evidence of a sheepskin effect. Nor are there differences between blacks and whites, or men and women. Gradients in behavior are biggest at young ages, and decline after age 50 or 60. We then consider differing reasons why education might be related to health. The obvious economic explanations - education is related to income or occupational choice - explain only a part of the education effect. We suggest that increasing levels of education lead to different thinking and decision-making patterns. The monetary value of the return to education in terms of health is perhaps half of the return to education on earnings, so policies that impact educational attainment could have a large effect on population health.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.