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Expected or Completed? Comparing Two Measures of Education and Their Relationship with Social Inequalities in Health Among Young Adults

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  • Thierry Gagné

    (École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal (ESPUM)
    École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal (ESPUM))

  • Adrian E. Ghenadenik

    (École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal (ESPUM)
    Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CRCHUM)
    École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal (ESPUM))

  • Martine Shareck

    (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM))

  • Katherine L. Frohlich

    (École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal (ESPUM)
    École de Santé Publique de l’Université de Montréal (ESPUM))

Abstract

Similarly to other age groups, there are significant social inequalities in health among young adults (YA). Education is thought to be the most appropriate indicator of YA socioeconomic status (SES), yet it is often in progress at that age and may not be representative of future achievement. Therefore, scholars have explored YA ‘expected’ education as a proxy of SES. However, no study has examined how it compares to the more common SES indicator, ‘completed’ education. Using data from 1457 YA surveyed twice over a two year period, we describe associations between participants’ completed and expected education at baseline and completed education at follow-up. We then compare associations between these two measures and three health outcomes—smoking status, self-rated mental health, and participation in physical activity and sports—at baseline and followup using regression models. At baseline, half of the participants were imputed a higher ‘expected’ level than that ‘completed’ at that time. In regression models, ‘expected’ and ‘completed’ education were strongly associated with all outcomes and performed slightly differently in terms of effect size, statistical significance, and model fit. ‘Expected’ education offers a good approximation of future achievement. More importantly, ‘expected’ and ‘completed’ education variables can be conceptualized as complementary indicators associated with inequalities in health in YA. Using both may help better understand social inequalities in health in YA.

Suggested Citation

  • Thierry Gagné & Adrian E. Ghenadenik & Martine Shareck & Katherine L. Frohlich, 2018. "Expected or Completed? Comparing Two Measures of Education and Their Relationship with Social Inequalities in Health Among Young Adults," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 135(2), pages 549-562, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:135:y:2018:i:2:d:10.1007_s11205-016-1517-9
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-016-1517-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hannelore De Grande & Hadewijch Vandenheede & Patrick Deboosere, 2015. "Educational Inequalities in the Transition to Adulthood in Belgium: The Impact of Intergenerational Mobility on Young-Adult Mortality in 2001-2009," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(12), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Shareck, Martine & Kestens, Yan & Frohlich, Katherine L., 2014. "Moving beyond the residential neighborhood to explore social inequalities in exposure to area-level disadvantage: Results from the Interdisciplinary Study on Inequalities in Smoking," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 106-114.
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