Life expectancy rises for the educated; the less-educated reap no benefit

The researchers found that much of the mortality gap can be attributed to smoking related illnesses. Just two diseases usually caused by smoking, lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (which comprises chronic bronchitis and emphysema), account for 20 percent of growing mortality differences in the 1990s. Many other illnesses like heart disease and other types of cancer, also count smoking as contributing factors. The importance of smoking is not surprising, since other data has shown that the less educated have not given up smoking to the same extent that those with more education have. (Other causes of death examined were diseases of the heart, non-lung cancers, stroke, and unintentional injuries.)

“There’s a bit of complacency in the fact that year after year lifespan goes up,” says Cutler. “Our data shows us that we need to start thinking about doing much more for the groups at the bottom if we don’t want to see these gaps grow.”

This research was funded by the National Institute on Aging and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Written by David Cameron

Full Citation:

Health Affairs, March/April 2008, Volume 27, Number 2

“The Gap Gets Bigger: Changes in Mortality and Life Expectancy, by Education, 1981-2000”

Ellen Meara(1), Seth Richards(2), and David Cutler(3)

1-Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
2-University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
3-Department of Economics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

Harvard Medical School (http://hms.harvard.edu/hms/home.asp) has more than 7,500 full-time faculty working in 11 academic departments located at the School's Boston campus or in one of 47 hospital-based clinical departments at 17 Harvard-affiliated teaching hospitals and research institutes. Those affiliates include Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Cambridge Health Alliance, Children's Hospital Boston, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Forsyth Institute, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Joslin Diabetes Center, Judge Baker Children's Center, Immune Disease Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Massachusetts General Hospital, McLean Hospital, Mount Auburn Hospital, Schepens Eye Research Institute, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, and VA Boston Healthcare System.