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Healthy minds in healthy bodies. An international comparison of education-related inequality in physical health among older adults

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  • Hendrik Jürges

    (Munich Center for the Economics of Aging (MEA))

Abstract

Education is arguably the most important correlate of health We study education-related inequality in the physical of older adults across 11 European countries and the US. Combining data from HRS 2002, ELSA 2002 and SHARE 2004, our results suggest that education is strongly correlated with health both across and within countries. Education-related inequality in health is larger in Mediterranean and Anglo-Saxon countries than in western European countries. We find no evidence of a trade-off between health levels and equity in health. Education-related inequality in health hardly driven by income or wealth effects (except in the US), and differences in health behaviors (smoking) by education level contribute surprisingly little health differences across education groups.

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  • Hendrik Jürges, 2007. "Healthy minds in healthy bodies. An international comparison of education-related inequality in physical health among older adults," MEA discussion paper series 07141, Munich Center for the Economics of Aging (MEA) at the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy.
    • Handle: RePEc:mea:meawpa:07141
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    Cited by:

    1. Kristian Bolin & Daniel Hedblom & Anna Lindgren & Bjorn Lindgren, 2010. "Asymmetric Information and the Demand for Voluntary Health Insurance in Europe," NBER Working Papers 15689, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    2. Hendrik Jürges & Lars Thiel & Tabea Bucher-Koenen & Johannes Rausch & Morten Schuth & Axel Börsch-Supan, 2014. "Health, Financial Incentives, and Early Retirement: Microsimulation Evidence for Germany," NBER Chapters, in: Social Security Programs and Retirement Around the World: Disability Insurance Programs and Retirement, pages 285-330, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

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