Doctoral Dissertation Research: The Effects of College Degrees on Health Behaviors

弗雷德·潘佩尔·伊丽莎白·M·劳伦斯科罗拉多大学博尔德分校在美国成年人中，大学毕业生的生活比那些受教育程度较低的人健康得多，但我们对其中的原因知之甚少。此外，最近的趋势表明，不同教育水平的健康和社会差距正在扩大。确定教育程度如何以及为什么影响健康行为，如吸烟、锻炼、保持健康的体重状况和酗酒，可以帮助我们理解不平等是如何在我们的社会中出现的。健康行为很重要，因为它们象征着社会阶层，塑造着个人的健康和长寿。该项目将确定大学学位在不同人群中对多种健康行为结果的影响有何不同。这项研究的目的有三个研究问题：(1)大学学历对健康行为的多个指标的平均因果影响？(2)大学学历对不同健康行为结果的影响在获得学位的可能性上有何差异？S种族或性别？(3)大学学历与健康行为关系的机制是什么，它们在不同群体中是否有所不同？为了回答这些问题，本研究采用了定量方法，分析了最近具有全国代表性的样本的调查数据。《国家青少年健康纵向研究》(ADD Health)提供了一组1977-1984年出生的人在青春期和青春期的教育和健康行为的纵向数据。结果将表明谁从大学学位中受益最多，这些学位是用来缓和还是加强现有的社会不平等，以及大学学位与健康行为关系的总体原因和不同群体之间的原因。通过揭示教育有益于健康行为的条件，该项目有可能促进全国范围内个人的福祉。吸烟、不良的饮食和体力活动以及饮酒是导致死亡的主要原因，改善这些行为将增强美国成年人的健康。在得出健康教育优势来源的广泛结论时，这项研究将为有意减少社会不平等的政策制定者提供有用的信息。例如，通过区分对大学教育最敏感和最不敏感的人群，项目结果可以用来确定干预目标。

SES-1435316Fred PampelElizabeth M. LawrenceUniversity of Colorado at BoulderAmong U.S. adults, college degree earners live much healthier lives than those with less education, but we know little about why. Further, recent trends show that health and social disparities across educational levels are widening. Determining how and why educational attainment influences health behaviors, such as smoking, exercising, maintenance of healthy weight status, and heavy drinking, can help us understand how inequality emerges in our society. Health behaviors are important because they signify social class and shape the health and longevity of individuals. This project will determine how the effects of college degrees differ across groups for multiple health behavior outcomes. Three research questions characterize the study's objectives: (1) What are the average causal effects of college degrees on multiple indicators of health behaviors? (2) How do the effects of college degrees on the different health behavior outcomes differ across the likelihood of achieving the degree, a person?s race, or a person's gender? (3) What are the mechanisms for the college degree-health behavior relationship and are they different across groups? To answer these questions, this study draws on quantitative methods analyzing survey data from a recent, nationally representative sample. The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) provides longitudinal data on education and health behaviors across adolescence and young adulthood for a cohort of individuals born 1977-1984. The results will indicate who benefits most from college degrees, whether these degrees serve to moderate or strengthen existing social inequalities, and what accounts for the college degree-health behavior relationship overall and within different subgroups. By revealing the conditions of education's benefits for health behaviors, this project has the potential to promote the well-being of individuals nationwide. Tobacco use, poor diet and physical activity, and alcohol consumption are leading causes of death and improving these behaviors would enhance the health of U.S. adults. In drawing broad conclusions as to the source of educational advantages for health, this study will provide useful information to policymakers interested in reducing social inequality. For example, by distinguishing the populations that are most and least responsive to college educations, the project results can be used to identify targets for intervention.