Changes in compulsory schooling and the causal effect of education on health : evidence from Germany


Kemptner, Daniel ; Jürges, Hendrik ; Reinhold, Steffen


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URL: http://ub-madoc.bib.uni-mannheim.de/2946
URN: urn:nbn:de:bsz:180-madoc-29463
Document Type: Working paper
Year of publication: 2010
The title of a journal, publication series: None
Publication language: English
Institution: School of Social Sciences > Sonstige - Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften
MADOC publication series: Veröffentlichungen des MEA (Mannheim Research Institute For the Economics of Aging) > MEA Discussion Papers
Subject: 300 Social sciences, sociology, anthropology
Classification: JEL: I21 I12 ,
Subject headings (SWD): Deutschland <Westliche Länder> , Schulzeit , Gesundheitsverhalten , Fettsucht , Tabakkonsum , Datenanalyse
Keywords (English): School reform , health , obesity , smoking , instrumental variables
Abstract: In this paper we investigate the causal effect of years of schooling on health and health-related behavior in West Germany. We apply an instrumental variables approach using as natural experiments several changes in compulsory schooling laws between 1949 and 1969. These law changes generate exogenous variation in years of schooling both across states and over time. We find evidence for a strong and significant causal effect of years of schooling on long-term illness for men but not for women. Moreover, we provide somewhat weaker evidence of a causal effect of education on the likelihood of having weight problems for both sexes. On the other hand, we find little evidence for a causal effect of education on smoking behavior. Overall, our estimates suggest significant non-monetary returns to education with respect to health outcomes and not necessarily with respect to health-related behavior.
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