Want to Live Longer? Get an Education!

The title may sound like a surprising advice, but that’s exactly what researchers have found when they looked at the impact of education on life expectancy. Their findings reveal that each additional year spent in education could reduce mortality by around 2 per cent.

Many studies have demonstrated that higher levels of education are associated with longer life expectancy, but none has been able to determine the extent to which education can reduce mortality. A team of researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology has now investigated this question, and their findings suggest that every year spent in school or university has a significant influence on life expectancy.

Source: https://habitatbroward.org

The researchers drew on data from no fewer than 59 countries, including the USA, France, India, Australia and the UK, with over 10,000 data points collected from more than 600 published papers. Although this research is based on a vast array of data, the scientists point out that most of it comes from high-income countries — a limitation that the authors say highlights the need for further research in low- and middle-income countries.

Published in The Lancet Public Health, their findings highlight the fact that each additional year in education is associated with a 2 per cent lower mortality risk. They point out that this corresponds to an average 13 per cent lower risk of death for those who complete elementary school (around six years of schooling, depending on the region), compared to those who did not attend school. Graduation from secondary school (about 12 years of education) was associated with a 24.5 per cent reduction in mortality, and graduation from higher education (18 years of schooling) with a 34 per cent reduction in the risk of death.

Even more surprisingly, the researchers suggest that the life expectancy benefits of 18 years of schooling would be similar to those associated with ideal vegetable consumption. The study also reveals that not going to school could be as bad for health as drinking five or more glasses of alcohol a day, or smoking half a pack of cigarettes a day for ten years. Despite the limitations of this study, notably linked to the lesser inclusion of low-income countries, the scientists report they found “no significant difference in the effects of education between countries that have reached different stages of development.”

What this means for senior citizens is to continue learning new skills, new subjects yearly. It may mean working on a Masters or a PhD?

Reference:

Staying in education helps you live longer, scientists say, The Malay Mail, 25 January 2024