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The Causal Effects of Education on Family Health: Evidence from Expanding Access to Higher Education

Author

Listed:
  • Thang Dang
  • Mika Haapanen
  • Tuomo Suhonen

Abstract

Exploiting the geographical expansion of the Finnish university system, we study the causal effects of education on family health. We find that education has positive im-pacts not only on individuals’ health but also on their parents’ health later in life. An additional year of education decreases the probability of mental health-related hospi-talizations and drug use by 3–4 percentage points while having less significant impacts on early mortality. As for the spillover effects, it increases a mother’s probability of old age survival by 2–3 percentage points, whereas the estimated effects on parents’ mental health and a father’s survival are less significant.

Suggested Citation

  • Thang Dang & Mika Haapanen & Tuomo Suhonen, 2024. "The Causal Effects of Education on Family Health: Evidence from Expanding Access to Higher Education," Working Papers 347, Työn ja talouden tutkimus LABORE, The Labour Institute for Economic Research LABORE.
    • Handle: RePEc:pst:wpaper:347
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    returns to education; intergenerational returns to education; higher education; family health; mental health; mortality; Finland;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I15 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Economic Development
    • I23 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Higher Education; Research Institutions
    • I26 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Returns to Education
    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J24 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity

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