Effects of Compulsory Schooling on Mortality: Evidence from Sweden
(2013) In International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 10(8). p.3596-3618- Abstract
- Abstract in Undetermined
Theoretically, there are several reasons to expect education to have a positive effect on health. Empirical research suggests that education can be an important health determinant. However, it has not yet been established whether education and health are indeed causally related, and the effects found in previous studies may be partially attributable to methodological weaknesses. Moreover, existing evidence on the education-health relationship generally uses information of fairly recent schooling reforms, implying that health outcomes are observed only over a limited time period. This paper examines the effect of education on mortality using information on a national roll-out of a reform leading to one extra... (More) - Abstract in Undetermined
Theoretically, there are several reasons to expect education to have a positive effect on health. Empirical research suggests that education can be an important health determinant. However, it has not yet been established whether education and health are indeed causally related, and the effects found in previous studies may be partially attributable to methodological weaknesses. Moreover, existing evidence on the education-health relationship generally uses information of fairly recent schooling reforms, implying that health outcomes are observed only over a limited time period. This paper examines the effect of education on mortality using information on a national roll-out of a reform leading to one extra year of compulsory schooling in Sweden. In 1936, the national government made a seventh school year compulsory; however, the implementation was decided at the school district level, and the reform was implemented over 12 years. Taking advantage of the variation in the timing of the implementation across school districts, by using county-level proportions of reformed districts, census data and administrative mortality data, we find that the extra compulsory school year reduced mortality. In fact, the mortality reduction is discernible already before the age of 30 and then grows in magnitude until the age of 55-60. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/3992399
- author
- Fischer, Martin ; Karlsson, Martin and Nilsson, Therese LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2013
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
- volume
- 10
- issue
- 8
- pages
- 3596 - 3618
- publisher
- MDPI AG
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000330526700034
- scopus:84893423831
- ISSN
- 1660-4601
- DOI
- 10.3390/ijerph10083596
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- ca06a357-91e2-48df-a31a-30a523f0d5b4 (old id 3992399)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 10:02:37
- date last changed
- 2022-04-27 17:57:15
@article{ca06a357-91e2-48df-a31a-30a523f0d5b4,
abstract = {{Abstract in Undetermined<br/>Theoretically, there are several reasons to expect education to have a positive effect on health. Empirical research suggests that education can be an important health determinant. However, it has not yet been established whether education and health are indeed causally related, and the effects found in previous studies may be partially attributable to methodological weaknesses. Moreover, existing evidence on the education-health relationship generally uses information of fairly recent schooling reforms, implying that health outcomes are observed only over a limited time period. This paper examines the effect of education on mortality using information on a national roll-out of a reform leading to one extra year of compulsory schooling in Sweden. In 1936, the national government made a seventh school year compulsory; however, the implementation was decided at the school district level, and the reform was implemented over 12 years. Taking advantage of the variation in the timing of the implementation across school districts, by using county-level proportions of reformed districts, census data and administrative mortality data, we find that the extra compulsory school year reduced mortality. In fact, the mortality reduction is discernible already before the age of 30 and then grows in magnitude until the age of 55-60.}},
author = {{Fischer, Martin and Karlsson, Martin and Nilsson, Therese}},
issn = {{1660-4601}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{8}},
pages = {{3596--3618}},
publisher = {{MDPI AG}},
series = {{International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}},
title = {{Effects of Compulsory Schooling on Mortality: Evidence from Sweden}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph10083596}},
doi = {{10.3390/ijerph10083596}},
volume = {{10}},
year = {{2013}},
}