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The Long-Term Impact of Education on Mortality and Health: Evidence from Sweden

Heckley, Gawain LU orcid ; Fischer, Martin LU ; Gerdtham, Ulf-Göran LU orcid ; Karlsson, Martin LU ; Kjellsson, Gustav and Nilsson, Therese LU (2018) In Working Papers
Abstract
There is a well-documented large positive correlation between education and health and yet it remains unclear as to whether this is a causal relationship. Potential reasons for this lack of clarity include estimation using different methods, analysis of different populations and school reforms that are different in design. In this paper we assess whether the type of school reform, the instrument and therefore subgroup identified and the modelling strategy impact the estimated health returns to education. To this end we use both Regression Discontinuity and Difference in Differences applied to two Swedish school reforms that are different in design but were implemented across overlapping cohorts born between 1938 and 1954 and follow them up... (More)
There is a well-documented large positive correlation between education and health and yet it remains unclear as to whether this is a causal relationship. Potential reasons for this lack of clarity include estimation using different methods, analysis of different populations and school reforms that are different in design. In this paper we assess whether the type of school reform, the instrument and therefore subgroup identified and the modelling strategy impact the estimated health returns to education. To this end we use both Regression Discontinuity and Difference in Differences applied to two Swedish school reforms that are different in design but were implemented across overlapping cohorts born between 1938 and 1954 and follow them up until 2013. We find small and insignificant impacts on overall mortality and its common causes and the results are robust to regression method, identification strategy and type of school reform. Extending the analysis to hospitalisations or self-reported health and health behaviours, we find no clear evidence of health improvements due to increased education. Based on the results we find no support for a positive causal effect of education on health. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Health returns to education, demand for medical care, I12, I18, I26
in
Working Papers
issue
2018:8
pages
60 pages
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
09c611de-db66-4b75-b05a-0854c37fe706
alternative location
https://swopec.hhs.se/lunewp/abs/lunewp2018_008.htm
date added to LUP
2018-03-29 14:14:41
date last changed
2019-03-08 02:54:11
@misc{09c611de-db66-4b75-b05a-0854c37fe706,
  abstract     = {{There is a well-documented large positive correlation between education and health and yet it remains unclear as to whether this is a causal relationship. Potential reasons for this lack of clarity include estimation using different methods, analysis of different populations and school reforms that are different in design. In this paper we assess whether the type of school reform, the instrument and therefore subgroup identified and the modelling strategy impact the estimated health returns to education. To this end we use both Regression Discontinuity and Difference in Differences applied to two Swedish school reforms that are different in design but were implemented across overlapping cohorts born between 1938 and 1954 and follow them up until 2013. We find small and insignificant impacts on overall mortality and its common causes and the results are robust to regression method, identification strategy and type of school reform. Extending the analysis to hospitalisations or self-reported health and health behaviours, we find no clear evidence of health improvements due to increased education. Based on the results we find no support for a positive causal effect of education on health.}},
  author       = {{Heckley, Gawain and Fischer, Martin and Gerdtham, Ulf-Göran and Karlsson, Martin and Kjellsson, Gustav and Nilsson, Therese}},
  keywords     = {{Health returns to education; demand for medical care; I12; I18; I26}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{2018:8}},
  series       = {{Working Papers}},
  title        = {{The Long-Term Impact of Education on Mortality and Health: Evidence from Sweden}},
  url          = {{https://swopec.hhs.se/lunewp/abs/lunewp2018_008.htm}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}