"Between the 1980s and 2000, life expectancy increases occurred nearly exclusively among high-education groups…"
This comes from a study conducted by Ellen R. Meara, Seth Richards and David M. Cutler, recently published in the March/April 2008 issue of Health Affairs. Their study suggested that diseases associated with tobacco use was a common contributor to early deaths among those had less than 12 years of education. "Diseases of the heart, cancers, and COPD contributed to more than 60 percent of deaths in the sample…"
Other common factors were highlighted resulting in the differences in life span between the less-educated and the better-educated. "As with smoking, obesity is more common among the less-educated than among the better-educated." The study mentioned factors such as obesity and disease prevention. "[P]revention can widen disparities in health across education and income groups."
Having more than twelve years of education usually means earning higher wages. For someone with a professional certificate, associate's degree, or an advanced degree, the lifetime earnings is typically hundreds of thousands more than someone with a high school diploma or less.
Higher paying jobs can come with benefits, such as medical insurance partially provided by an employer. Having medical insurance makes paying for preventative medicine more affordable. Medical expenses (even check-ups) can be a burden for any family paying out of pocket for health care. The working conditions of lower paying jobs can sometimes be more dangerous than those of higher paying jobs. For example, a person working in auto mechanics has a great risk of getting hurt on the job than a saleperson working in an auto dealership.
Source:
Ellen R. Meara, Seth Richards and David M. Cutler
The Gap Gets Bigger: Changes In Mortality And Life Expectancy, By Education, 1981—2000 Meara et al. Health Affairs. 2008; 27: 350-360
About the Editors:
Ellen Meara is an assistant professor of health economics in the Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, in Boston, Massachusetts. Seth Richards is a doctoral candidate in economics at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia. David Cutler is a professor of economics at Harvard University, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.