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. 2023 Jul;58(4):1273-1306.
doi: 10.3368/jhr.59.2.0720-11064r1. Epub 2021 Jun 9.

DISTRIBUTIONAL EFFECTS OF EDUCATION ON HEALTH

Silvia H Barcellos  1 , Leandro S Carvalho  2 , Patrick Turley  3
Affiliations

DISTRIBUTIONAL EFFECTS OF EDUCATION ON HEALTH

Silvia H Barcellos et al. J Hum Resour. 2023 Jul.

Abstract

This paper studies distributional effects of education on health. In 1972, England, Scotland, and Wales raised their minimum school-leaving age from 15 to 16 for students born after 9/1/1957. Using a regression discontinuity design and objective health measures for 129,000 individuals, we find that education reduced body size and increased blood pressure in middle age. The reduction in body size was concentrated at the upper tail of the distribution with an 8 percentage point reduction in obesity. The increase in blood pressure was concentrated at the lower tail of the distribution with no effect on stage 2 hypertension.

Keywords: I10; I20.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Fraction Staying in School until Age 16 by Quarter of Birth
Notes: The figure shows the fraction of study participants who stayed in school until age 16 by quarter of birth. The dashed vertical line marks the first birth cohort affected by the 1972 school-leaving age reform. Cohorts born to the right of the line had to stay in school until age 16 while cohorts born before could leave at age 15. The curves show linear trends in quarter of birth that capture birth cohort trends. The circumference of each circle reflects the number of participants born in that quarter. N = 129,370.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Fraction with a CSE of O-level by Quarter of Birth
Notes: The figure shows the fraction of study participants with a CSE or O-level qualification by quarter of birth. The dashed vertical line marks the introduction of the policy. Cohorts born to the right of the line had to stay in school until age 16 while cohorts born before could leave at age 15. The curves show quadratic polynomials in quarter of birth that capture birth cohort trends. The circumference of each circle reflects the number of participants born in that quarter. N = 128,169.
Figure 3
Figure 3. – Effects on Average Health
Notes: These figures show average health by quarter of birth. See Table 2 for number of observations.
Figure 4
Figure 4. Fraction with a BMI Below 30
Notes: The figure shows the fraction of study participants with a BMI below 30 by quarter of birth. The dashed vertical line marks the introduction of the policy. Cohorts born to the right of the line had to stay in school until age 16 while cohorts born before could leave at age 15. The curves show linear trends in quarter of birth that capture birth cohort trends. The circumference of each circle reflects the number of participants born in that quarter. N = 128,856.
Figure 5
Figure 5. Distributional Effects on Body Mass Index
Notes: The figure shows the pre- and post-reform CDFs of body mass index for compliers. See section III.C for an explanation of how the figure is constructed. N = 128,856
Figure 6
Figure 6. Distributional Effects on Body Size Index
Notes: The figure shows the pre- and post-reform CDFs of the body size index for compliers. See section III.C for an explanation of how the figure is constructed. N = 127,366.
Figure 7
Figure 7. Distributional Effects on Lung Function Index
Notes: The figure shows the pre- and post-reform CDFs of the lung function index for compliers. See section III.C for an explanation of how the figure is constructed. N = 103,682.
Figure 8
Figure 8. Distributional Effects on Blood Pressure Index
Notes: The figure shows the pre- and post-reform CDFs of the blood pressure index for compliers. See section III.C for an explanation of how the figure is constructed. N = 129,165.
Figure 9
Figure 9. Distributional Effects on Diastolic Blood Pressure
Notes: The figure shows the pre- and post-reform CDFs of diastolic blood pressure for compliers. See section III.C for an explanation of how the figure is constructed. N = 129,165.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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