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

博士论文研究：大学学位对健康行为的影响

• 批准号: 1435316
• 负责人: Fred Pampel
• 金额: $ 0.64万
• 依托单位: University of Colorado at Boulder
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-09-01 至 2015-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1435316&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Doctoral; Dissertation; Research; Effects; College

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.

Fred PampelElizabeth M.在美国成年人中，大学学历的人比受教育较少的人生活得更健康，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何影响健康行为，例如吸烟、锻炼、保持健康体重状态和大量饮酒，可以帮助我们了解社会中不平等是如何出现的。健康行为很重要，因为它们标志着社会阶层，并塑造个人的健康和长寿。该项目将确定大学学位对多个健康行为结果的影响如何在不同群体之间存在差异。三个研究问题的特点，研究的目标：（1）什么是平均因果关系的影响，大学学位的多个指标的健康行为？(2)大学学位对不同健康行为结果的影响如何在获得学位的可能性上有所不同？一个人的种族，还是一个人的性别？(3)大学学历与健康行为之间的关系是什么机制？不同群体之间是否存在差异？为了回答这些问题，本研究借鉴了定量方法分析调查数据，从最近的，全国代表性的样本。国家青少年健康纵向研究（Add Health）提供了1977-1984年出生的一组青少年和青年人的教育和健康行为的纵向数据。研究结果将表明谁从大学学位中受益最多，这些学位是否有助于缓和或加强现有的社会不平等，以及是什么原因导致了大学学位与健康行为之间的整体关系以及不同亚组之间的关系。通过揭示教育对健康行为有益的条件，该项目有可能促进全国个人的福祉。吸烟、不良饮食和体育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。在就教育对健康的好处的来源得出广泛的结论时，这项研究将为有兴趣减少社会不平等的决策者提供有用的信息。例如，通过区分对大学教育反应最大和最小的人群，项目结果可用于确定干预目标。