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Cited by 929Health disparities and outcomesIntergenerational and Educational Inequality StudiesLabor market dynamics and wage inequality

The Relationship Between Education and Adult Mortality in the United States

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Lleras-Muney, Adriana·2002·National Bureau of Economic Research
DOI 10.3386/w8986
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Abstract

Prior research has uncovered a large and positive correlation between education and health.This paper examines whether education has a causal impact on health.I follow synthetic cohorts using successive U.S. censuses to estimate the impact of educational attainment on mortality rates.I use compulsory education laws from 1915 to 1939 as instruments for education.The results suggest that education has a causal impact on mortality, and that this effect is perhaps larger than has been previously estimated in the literature.

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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 [30]

    The Introduction (page unavailable in our copy) reports a strong association between education and health, as well as lower mortality among more educated adults. It discusses smoking-related research, but does not establish a broad association with risk-taking behavior. The paper measures educational attainment rather than academic achievement, so the claim extends beyond what it supports. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

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Research works printed but not linked: 38

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Lleras-Muney, A.
Venue
National Bureau of Economic Research
Publisher
National Bureau of Economic Research
Published
2002-06
DOI
10.3386/w8986
OpenAlex
W2890944180
Cited by
929
References
1
Citations by year
2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 42 · 2020: 46 · 2019: 42 · 2018: 48 · 2017: 53 · 2016: 69 · 2015: 69 · 2014: 94 · 2013: 67 · 2012: 56
Type
report
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • National Bureau of Economic Research (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Intergenerational and Educational Inequality Studies
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Labor market dynamics and wage inequality
Keywords
educational attainment, adult mortality, health effects of education, compulsory education law, synthetic cohort, causal effects of education, health disparities, United States

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