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Education, cognitive ability, and cause-specific mortality: A structural approach

Author

Listed:
  • Govert E. Bijwaard
  • Per Tynelius
  • Mikko Myrskylä

Abstract

Education is negatively associated with most major causes of death. Prior work ignores the premise that cause-specific hazards are interdependent and that both education and mortality depend on cognitive ability. We analyse Swedish men aged 18–63, focusing on months lost due to specific causes—which solves the interdependence problem—and use a structural model that accounts for confounding due to cognitive ability. In a standard Cox model controlling for Intelligence Quotient, improving education is associated with large decreases in mortality for major causes of death. In the structural model, improving education is associated with a small decrease in months lost for most causes and education levels. Among the least educated, however, improving education strongly reduces the months lost, mainly those lost from external causes, such as accidents and suicide. Results suggest that conventional analysis of education and mortality may be biased, even if accounting for observed cognition.

Suggested Citation

  • Govert E. Bijwaard & Per Tynelius & Mikko Myrskylä, 2019. "Education, cognitive ability, and cause-specific mortality: A structural approach," Population Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 73(2), pages 217-232, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rpstxx:v:73:y:2019:i:2:p:217-232
    DOI: 10.1080/00324728.2018.1493135
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    Cited by:

    1. Bijwaard, Govert, 2021. "Educational Differences in Mortality and Hospitalisation for Cardiovascular Diseases for Males," IZA Discussion Papers 14507, IZA Network @ LISER.
    2. Govert E. Bijwaard & Mikko Myrskylä & Per Tynelius & Finn Rasmussen, 2017. "Educational gain in cause-specific mortality: accounting for confounders," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2017-003, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    3. Elena Bassoli & Peter Eibich & Emma Zai, 2025. "The mental health consequences of spousal bereavement," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2025-026, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    4. Gianmaria Niccodemi & Govert Bijwaard, 2024. "Education and medication use later in life and the role of intelligence," The European Journal of Health Economics, Springer;Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gesundheitsökonomie (DGGÖ), vol. 25(2), pages 333-361, March.
    5. Bijwaard, Govert E. & Myrskylä, Mikko & Tynelius, Per & Rasmussen, Finn, 2017. "Educational gains in cause-specific mortality: Accounting for cognitive ability and family-level confounders using propensity score weighting," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 49-56.
    6. Bijwaard, Govert E., 2022. "Educational differences in mortality and hospitalisation for cardiovascular diseases," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    7. Govert E. Bijwaard & Andrew M. Jones, 2024. "Regression discontinuity design with principal stratification in the mixed proportional hazard model: an application to the long-run impact of education on longevity," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 67(1), pages 197-223, July.
    8. Bijwaard, G.E.; & Jones, A.M.;, 2019. "Education and life-expectancy and how the relationship is mediated through changes in behaviour: a principal stratification approach for hazard rates," Health, Econometrics and Data Group (HEDG) Working Papers 19/05, HEDG, c/o Department of Economics, University of York.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J1 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

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