A1 Journal article (refereed)
Does better education mitigate risky health behavior? : A mendelian randomization study (2022)
Viinikainen, J., Bryson, A., Böckerman, P., Kari, J. T., Lehtimäki, T., Raitakari, O., Viikari, J., & Pehkonen, J. (2022). Does better education mitigate risky health behavior? : A mendelian randomization study. Economics and Human Biology, 46, Article 101134. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2022.101134
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Viinikainen, Jutta; Bryson, Alex; Böckerman, Petri; Kari, Jaana T.; Lehtimäki, Terho; Raitakari, Olli; Viikari, Jorma; Pehkonen, Jaakko
Journal or series: Economics and Human Biology
ISSN: 1570-677X
eISSN: 1873-6130
Publication year: 2022
Publication date: 23/03/2022
Volume: 46
Article number: 101134
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Publication country: Netherlands
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ehb.2022.101134
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/81267
Abstract
Education and risky health behaviors are strongly negatively correlated. Education may affect health behaviors by enabling healthier choices through higher disposable income, increasing information about the harmful effects of risky health behaviors, or altering time preferences. Alternatively, the observed negative correlation may stem from reverse causality or unobserved confounders. Based on the data from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study linked to register-based information on educational attainment and family background, this paper identifies the causal effect of education on risky health behaviors. To examine causal effects, we used a genetic score as an instrument for years of education. We found that individuals with higher education allocated more attention to healthy habits. In terms of health behaviors, highly educated people were less likely to smoke. Some model specifications also indicated that the highly educated consumed more fruit and vegetables, but the results were imprecise in this regard. No causal effect was found between education and abusive drinking. In brief, inference based on genetic instruments showed that higher education leads to better choices in some but not all dimensions of health behaviors.
Keywords: health behaviour; lifestyle habits; diets; smoking; alcohol use; education and training; level of education
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2022
JUFO rating: 1