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Educational Differences in Smoking: Selection Versus Causation

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  • Jürges Hendrik

    (University of Wuppertal, Schumpeter School of Business and Economics, Rainer-Gruenter-Str.21 (FN), 42119Wuppertal, Germany)

  • Meyer Sophie-Charlotte

    (Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), Dortmund, Germany)

Abstract

We investigate sources of educational differences in smoking. Using a large German data set containing retrospective information on the age at smoking onset, we compare age-specific hazard rates of starting smoking between (future) low and high educated individuals. We find that up to 90 % of the educational differences in smoking develop before the age of 16, i. e. before compulsory schooling is completed. This education gap persists into adulthood. Further, we examine the role of health-related knowledge (proxied by working in health-related occupations) and find it hardly explains smoking decisions. Our findings suggest that (unobserved) factors determining both the selection into smoking and education are almost exclusively responsible for educational differences in smoking. Only small parts of the education gap seem to be caused by general or health-specific education. The effectiveness of education policy to combat smoking is thus likely limited.

Suggested Citation

  • Jürges Hendrik & Meyer Sophie-Charlotte, 2020. "Educational Differences in Smoking: Selection Versus Causation," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 240(4), pages 467-492, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:jns:jbstat:v:240:y:2020:i:4:p:467-492:n:5
    DOI: 10.1515/jbnst-2019-0004
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    Cited by:

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    2. Huebener, Mathias, 2019. "Life expectancy and parental education," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 232, pages 351-365.
    3. Huebener, Mathias, 2019. "Life expectancy and parental education," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 351-365.
    4. Mathias Huebener, 2019. "Life Expectancy and Parental Education in Germany," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 1023, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education; smoking initiation; health-related knowledge;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth

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