Cohort and life-course patterns in the relationship between education and health: A hierarchical approach

Abstract

Recent medical sociological research has examined whether the relationship between education and health is dynamic across age, whereas recent demographic research has examined whether the relationship varies across cohorts. In this study, I examine how cohort structures the influence of education on life-course health trajectories. At the cohort level, changes in education and in the distribution of health and mortality make cohort differences in education's effect probable. At the life-course level, the effect of education may vary across age because the mediators of the education-health relationship may vary in their relevance to health across the life course. Using basic regression analyses and random-effects models of two national data sets, I find that the effect of education strengthens across age, that this pattern is becoming stronger across cohorts, and that these patterns are suppressed when either effect is ignored.

Unsafe Occupational Health Behaviors: Understanding Mercury-Related Environmental Health Risks to Artisanal Gold Miners in Ghana

“…This finding is consistent with the literature as demonstrated by Lynch (2003), Lleras-Muney (2005) and Cutler and LlerasMuney (2006). Lynch (2003) argues that a strong positive association occurs between education and health outcomes as evidenced by illness (morbidity), death rates (mortality), health behaviors or health knowledge.…”

“…This finding is consistent with the literature as demonstrated by Lynch (2003), Lleras-Muney (2005) and Cutler and LlerasMuney (2006). Lynch (2003) argues that a strong positive association occurs between education and health outcomes as evidenced by illness (morbidity), death rates (mortality), health behaviors or health knowledge. According to Cutler and Lleras-Muney (2006), the link between education and health speaks to three conceivable categories of interactions: (a) a causal relationship emanating from increased education to improved health, (b) a reverse causal link, demonstrating that better health leads to greater education; or (c) an absence of a causal relationship between education and health, which seem to be correlated owing to possible unobserved elements affecting both health and education in a unidirectional manner.…”

Education, material condition and physical functioning trajectories in middle-aged and older adults in Central and Eastern Europe: a cross-country comparison

“…10 This convergence may be due to a biological ceiling (as older adults from a different SEP background may become universally fragile with age) or selective mortality (whereby unhealthy persons from lower SEP groups die before reaching an old age while healthy persons survive) 810 11…”

About the role of chronic conditions onto the US educational differences on mortality

“…This article focuses on education differentials because education can be usefully interpreted as a measure of socioeconomic status (Lynch 2003). In addition, educational levels are established early in life, which minimises reverse causation issues.…”