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The Health Returns of University Eligibility

Heckley, Gawain LU orcid ; Nordin, Martin LU and Gerdtham, Ulf-Göran LU orcid (2020) In Working Papers
Abstract
This paper exploits an arbitrary university eligibility rule in Sweden combined with regression discontinuity to estimate the impact of university education on health derived demand for medical care. We find a clear jump in university attendance due to university eligibility of between 10 and 14 percentage points. For females this implies a 30-40% drop in self-harm. For males it coincides with reduced use of prescribed pain killers, implying reduced risky behaviour. Males also observe a 30% increase in mental disorders, almost exclusively related to alcohol. The spillovers of university education on to health for the marginal student are therefore significant.
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Working paper/Preprint
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Health returns to education, demand for medical care, Regression Discontinuity Design, I10, I23, I26
in
Working Papers
issue
2020:7
pages
35 pages
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b0c4f466-d6bf-4076-bb56-058d3cf8276e
alternative location
https://swopec.hhs.se/lunewp/abs/lunewp2020_007.htm
date added to LUP
2020-04-27 11:33:17
date last changed
2021-03-29 15:48:50
@misc{b0c4f466-d6bf-4076-bb56-058d3cf8276e,
  abstract     = {{This paper exploits an arbitrary university eligibility rule in Sweden combined with regression discontinuity to estimate the impact of university education on health derived demand for medical care. We find a clear jump in university attendance due to university eligibility of between 10 and 14 percentage points. For females this implies a 30-40% drop in self-harm. For males it coincides with reduced use of prescribed pain killers, implying reduced risky behaviour. Males also observe a 30% increase in mental disorders, almost exclusively related to alcohol. The spillovers of university education on to health for the marginal student are therefore significant.}},
  author       = {{Heckley, Gawain and Nordin, Martin and Gerdtham, Ulf-Göran}},
  keywords     = {{Health returns to education; demand for medical care; Regression Discontinuity Design; I10; I23; I26}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{2020:7}},
  series       = {{Working Papers}},
  title        = {{The Health Returns of University Eligibility}},
  url          = {{https://swopec.hhs.se/lunewp/abs/lunewp2020_007.htm}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}