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Screening Tests, Information, and the Health-Education Gradient

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Author Info
Ciro Avitabile () (University College London, IFS, University of Salerno and CSEF)
Tullio Jappelli () (Università di Napoli, CSEF and CEPR)
Mario Padula () (Università di Venezia, and CSEF)

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Abstract

The association between health outcomes and education – the health-education gradient - is widely documented but little is known about its source. Using microeconomic data on a sample of individuals aged 50+ in eight European countries, we find that education and cognitive skills (such as verbal fluency) are associated with a greater propensity for standard screening tests (mammography and colonoscopy). In order to study the role of information on the decision to screen, we test whether the health-education gradient varies with the quality of the information provided by the health care system, as proxied by the quality of the General Practitioner. Using an Instrumental Variable approach to control for the potential endogeneity of the GP quality score, we find evidence of a strong and significant complementarity between education and quality of primary care. We interpret this result as evidence that health-education gradient can be explained, at least in part, by the fact that better educated individuals are more able to process and internalize health related information as provided by GPs.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Centre for Studies in Economics and Finance (CSEF), University of Salerno, Italy in its series CSEF Working Papers with number 187.

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Date of creation: 01 Jan 2008
Date of revision: 28 Apr 2008
Handle: RePEc:sef:csefwp:187

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Related research
Keywords: Health education information general practitioners

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
I0 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - General
I1 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health
I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education

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References listed on IDEAS
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    Other versions:
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  7. de Walque, Damien, 2007. "How does the impact of an HIV/AIDS information campaign vary with educational attainment? Evidence from rural Uganda," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(2), pages 686-714, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Sherry Glied & Adriana Lleras-Muney, 2003. "Health Inequality, Education and Medical Innovation," NBER Working Papers 9738, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. John Mullahy, 1999. "It'll only hurt a second? Microeconomic determinants of who gets flu shots," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 8(1), pages 9-24.
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  11. David M. Cutler & Adriana Lleras-Muney, 2006. "Education and Health: Evaluating Theories and Evidence," NBER Working Papers 12352, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Martin Marshall & Sheila Leatherman & Soeren Mattke, 2004. "Selecting Indicators for the Quality of Health Promotion, Prevention and Primary Care at the Health Systems Level in OECD Countries," OECD Health Technical Papers 16, OECD Directorate for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs. [Downloadable!]
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