Life Expectancy and Education: Evidence from the Cardiovascular Revolution

41 Pages Posted: 30 Jan 2015

See all articles by Casper Worm Hansen

Casper Worm Hansen

University of Copenhagen - Department of Economics; University of Copenhagen

Holger Strulik

University of Goettingen (Göttingen) - School of Law, Economics, Social Sciences

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: January 19, 2015

Abstract

In this study we investigate the causal impact of increasing adult longevity on higher education. We exploit the fourth stage of the epidemiological transition, i.e. the unexpected decline of deaths from heart attack and stroke in the 1970s as a large positive health shock that affected predominantly old age mortality. Using a differences-in-differences estimation strategy we find across U.S. states that the cardiovascular revolution led to an increase in adult life expectancy by about 2 years, which caused higher education enrollment to increase by 7 percentage points, i.e. 30 percent of the observed increase from 1970 to 2000. Our findings are robust to the inclusion of state-specific health trends and a host of confounding variables. They suggest large effects of improving longevity on higher education enrollment.

Keywords: adult life expectancy, higher education, cardiovascular diseases, 2SLS strategy, differences-in-differences first-stage

JEL Classification: I15, J24, N30, O10, O40

Suggested Citation

Hansen, Casper Worm and Hansen, Casper Worm and Strulik, Holger, Life Expectancy and Education: Evidence from the Cardiovascular Revolution (January 19, 2015). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2557412 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2557412

Casper Worm Hansen (Contact Author)

University of Copenhagen - Department of Economics ( email )

Øster Farimagsgade 5
Copenhagen K, DK 1153
Denmark

University of Copenhagen ( email )

Nørregade 10
Copenhagen, København DK-1165
Denmark

Holger Strulik

University of Goettingen (Göttingen) - School of Law, Economics, Social Sciences ( email )

Germany

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