Advances in public health have contributed to a rising population life expectancy in developed nations since at least the beginning of the 20th century. Despite our growing longevity, disparities among different groups persist. A study issued by the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society found that life expectancy for the non-Hispanic white population with less than a high school education is on the decline. In the report, authors Olshansky et al. find the life expectancy of adult, non-Hispanic white women who do not graduate from high school to be five years shorter for those born in 2008 than for those born in 1990. These trends can be seen in the following chart, featured in the report.
Differences in longevity by educational attainment are now larger than differences by race or gender, with college-educated blacks and Hispanics living 7.5 and 13.6 years longer, respectively, than whites with less than a high school education. Both black and white adults with less than a high school education have mortality risks similar to those experienced by adults 50 years ago.
Olshansky et al. also note that the association between education and health are related not only to the indirect benefits of more and better-paying jobs and access to health insurance and services, but also “through the adoption of healthier lifestyles, better ability to cope with stress, and more effective management of chronic diseases.” The latest National Health Interview Survey data indicate that adults with less than a high school education experience twice the rate of diabetes (14.7% versus 7.1%) and report 2.5 times the number of annual bed days (days where at least half the day was spent in bed due to illness or injury) as those with a bachelor’s degree or higher (7.9 days versus 3.2).
Our previous posts have highlighted both the growing importance of an advanced education in competing in the labor market and the increasing disparity in access to college education due to rising costs and stagnant public funding. The findings from the MacArthur Foundation report illustrate that low educational attainment can impact not only the daily well-being of the American population, but may be associated with shorter life span as well.