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Cited by 828Health disparities and outcomesIntergenerational and Educational Inequality StudiesPublic Health and Social Inequalities

Education, Age, and the Cumulative Advantage in Health

Ross, Catherine E., Wu, Chia-Ling·1996·Journal of Health and Social Behavior
DOI 10.2307/2137234
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Abstract

The positive association between educational attainment and health is well established, but the way in which the education-based gap in health varies with age is not. Do the health advantages of high educational attainment and disadvantages of low educational attainment diverge or converge with age? The cumulative advantage perspective predicts a diverging SES gap in health with age, but past evidence does not allow us to accept or reject the hypothesis. We address this issue in two samples, cross-sectionally and over time, with three health measures. The first data set consists of a 1990 telephone interview of a national probability sample of U.S. households. There are 2,031 respondents, aged 18 to 90. The second is a national probability sample of U.S. households in which 2,436 respondents aged 20 to 64 were interviewed by telephone in 1979 and reinterviewed in 1980. We find that the gap in self-reported health, in physical functioning, and in physical well-being among people with high and low educational attainment increases with age. The health advantage of the well educated is larger in older age groups than in younger. Health advantages of high income and disadvantages of low income also diverge with age, but household income does not explain education's positive effect.

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Crossref · 10.2307/2137234

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27 of 27 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Low academic achievement is strongly associated with risk-taking behavior, compromised health status, and reduced longevity.

    “Conversely, low academic achievement is strongly associated with risk-taking behavior, compromised health status, and reduced longevity.22–33”

    From School-Based Health Centers to Advance Health Equity (2016) · cites this paper as [31]

  • The effects of education are pervasive throughout the lifespan and have cumulative effects on health over time.

    “suggesting that the effects of education are pervasive throughout the lifespan, and that its consequences have cumulative effects on health over time.”

    From Education improves public health and promotes health equity (2015) · cites this paper as [36]

  • The association between educational attainment and self-rated health increases with age when measured by the number of days per week reported as free of major symptoms, and the gap in symptom-free days increases with age across education levels.

    “the association increases with age when measured by the number of days per week reported as free of major symptoms. With increasing age, the gap in symptom-free days increases between those with a college degree, those with a high school degree or some college, and those with less than a high school degree”

    From Education improves public health and promotes health equity (2015) · cites this paper as [36]

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Authors
Ross, C. E., & Wu, C.-L.
Affiliations
The Ohio State University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
1996-03
Volume
37
Issue
1
Pages
104
ISSN
0022-1465 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.2307/2137234
OpenAlex
W2044594882
Cited by
828
References
27
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 24 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 32 · 2021: 44 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 45 · 2015: 36 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 47 · 2012: 36
FWCI
13.41
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Journal of Health and Social Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies
  • Social Sciences › Health › Public Health and Social Inequalities
Keywords
educational attainment, health status, Matthew effect, socioeconomic status, age differences, self-reported health, physical function, physical well-being, income, educational inequality in health
MeSH terms
Activities of Daily Living, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Cross-Sectional Studies, Educational Status, Health Status, Humans, Middle Aged, Socioeconomic Factors, United States, Linear Models

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