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Estimating the Education-Health Relationship: A Cost-Utility Approach

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Author Info

  • Ezra Golberstein

    (University of Minnesota - Twin Cities)

  • Richard A. Hirth

    (University of Michigan - Ann Arbor)

  • Paula M. Lantz

    (George Washington University)

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    Abstract

    While considerable research studies the association between education and health, no prior research estimates the magnitude of health improvements associated with more schooling, accounting for both quantity and quality of life. We use longitudinal PSID data that combines repeated survey measures of health status with mortality data to measure the number of Quality-Adjusted Life Years accruing over a 23-year period. To reduce endogeneity concerns we utilize detailed survey information on family background, cognitive, and non-cognitive skills; and we estimate sibling fixed effects models. An additional year of schooling is associated with 0.20-0.38 additional QALYs over the 23-year study period. These estimates are considerably larger than looking at quality-unadjusted life years. We estimate that an additional year of schooling is associated with an incremental discounted lifetime value of $26,000-$49,000 of health. To the extent that our results approximate causal estimates, increasing education may be a cost-effective way to improve population health.

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    File URL: http://www.bepress.com/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2838&context=bejeap
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    Bibliographic Info

    Article provided by De Gruyter in its journal The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy.

    Volume (Year): 11 (2012)
    Issue (Month): 3 ()
    Pages: 7

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    Handle: RePEc:bpj:bejeap:v:11:y:2012:i:3:n:7

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    Web page: http://www.degruyter.com

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    Web: http://www.degruyter.com/view/j/bejeap

    Related research

    Keywords: education; health; cost-effectiveness; cost-utility;

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