Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/55058 
Year of Publication: 
2011
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 5944
Publisher: 
Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
In this paper we investigate the contribution of health related behaviors to the education gradient, using an empirical approach that addresses the endogeneity of both education and behaviors in the health production function. We apply this approach to a multi-country data set, which includes 12 European countries and has information on education, health and health behaviors for a sample of individuals aged 50+. Focusing on self reported poor health as our health outcome, we find that education has a protective role both for males and females. When evaluated at the sample mean of the dependent variable, one additional year of education reduces self-reported poor health by 7.1% for females and by 3.1% for males. Health behaviors - measured by smoking, drinking, exercising and the body mass index - contribute to explaining the gradient. We find that the effects of education on smoking, drinking, exercising and eating a proper diet account for at most 23% to 45% of the entire effect of education on health, depending on gender.
Subjects: 
health
education
health behaviors
Europe
JEL: 
J1
I12
I21
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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