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Education and Health: The Role of Cognitive Ability

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  • Govert Bijwaard
  • Hans van Kippersluis
  • Justus Veenman

Abstract

We aim to disentangle the relative contributions of (i) cognitive ability, and (ii) education on health and mortality using a structural equation model suggested by Conti et al. (2010). We extend their model by allowing for a duration dependent variable, and an ordinal educational variable. Data come from a Dutch cohort born around 1940, including detailed measures of cognitive ability and family background at age 12. The data are subsequently linked to the mortality register 1995-2011, such that we observe mortality between ages 55 and 75. The results suggest that the treatment effect of education (i.e. the effect of entering secondary school as opposed to leaving school after primary education) is positive and amounts to a 4 years gain in life expectancy, on average. Decomposition results suggest that the raw survival differences between educational groups are about equally split between a ‘treatment effect’ of education, and a ‘selection effect’ on basis of cognitive ability and family background.

Suggested Citation

  • Govert Bijwaard & Hans van Kippersluis & Justus Veenman, 2013. "Education and Health: The Role of Cognitive Ability," CESifo Working Paper Series 4207, CESifo.
    • Handle: RePEc:ces:ceswps:_4207
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    education; cognitive ability; mortality; structural equation model; duration model;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C41 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods: Special Topics - - - Duration Analysis; Optimal Timing Strategies
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • I24 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Education and Inequality

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