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Education, Cognition, Health Knowledge, and Health Behavior

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  • Naci Mocan
  • Duha T. Altindag

Abstract

Using data from NLSY97 we analyze the impact of education on health behavior. Controlling for health knowledge does not influence the impact of education on health behavior, supporting the productive efficiency hypothesis. Although cognition, as measured by test scores, appears to have an effect on the relationship between education and health behavior, this effect disappears once the models control for family fixed effects. Similarly, the impact of education on health behavior is the same between those with and without a learning disability, suggesting that cognition is not likely to be a significant factor in explaining the impact of education on health behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Naci Mocan & Duha T. Altindag, 2012. "Education, Cognition, Health Knowledge, and Health Behavior," Auburn Economics Working Paper Series auwp2012-01, Department of Economics, Auburn University.
    • Handle: RePEc:abn:wpaper:auwp2012-01
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    Cited by:

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    2. Yuriy Pylypchuk & Samuel W. Norton, 2015. "Preventing Malaria among Children in Zambia: The Role of Mother's Knowledge," Health Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 24(11), pages 1389-1402, November.
    3. Naci H. Mocan & Colin Cannonier, 2012. "Empowering Women Through Education: Evidence from Sierra Leone," NBER Working Papers 18016, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    4. Dursun, Bahadır & Cesur, Resul & Mocan, Naci, 2018. "The Impact of Education on Health Outcomes and Behaviors in a Middle-Income, Low-Education Country," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 94-114.
    5. Jürges Hendrik & Meyer Sophie-Charlotte, 2020. "Educational Differences in Smoking: Selection Versus Causation," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 240(4), pages 467-492, August.
    6. Liu, Xiaoou & Lopez, Rigoberto & Zhu, Chen, 2015. "Can Voluntary Nutrition Labeling Lead to a Healthier Food Market?," 2016 Allied Social Sciences Association (ASSA) Annual Meeting, January 3-5, 2016, San Francisco, California 212818, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    7. Yew Seng Law & Chung-Khain Wye, 2023. "The effects of fertility on female labour force participation in OECD countries: the role of education and health," Studies in Economics and Econometrics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 47(3), pages 280-302, July.
    8. Justyna Kujawska, 2021. "Health System Efficiency in European Countries: Network Data Envelopment Analysis Approach," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(2), pages 1095-1117.
    9. Fabien Gilbert & Jean-Baptiste Richard & Pascale Lapie-Legouis & François Beck & Marie-Noël Vercambre, 2015. "Health Behaviors: Is There Any Distinction for Teachers? A Cross-Sectional Nationwide Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-13, March.
    10. Xiwu Xu & Yaodong Zhou & Dai Su & Yuan Dang & Xianwen Zhang, 2023. "Does Education Influence Life-Course Depression in Middle-Aged and Elderly in China? Evidence from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(2), pages 1-13, January.

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    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I20 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - General

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