VID Colloquium
The Growing Importance of Education in Reducing Adult Mortality in the United States
Mark D. Hayward, Population Research Center & Department of Sociology, University of Texas at Austin
Date: Thu, 21 Mar. 2013, Time: 10:00-11:00 am
Recent demographic studies point to a widening educational gradient in adult mortality in the United States. Exactly who are the “winners” and “losers” in the longevity race is less clear - especially with regard to the long-run changes in the gradient. How has the functional form of the association changed over time, and what can this tell us about changes in the social forces influencing mortality? Are all education groups rising in terms of increased life expectancy? Are men and women and minority status groups experiencing the same changes? Is the association changing across periods and/or across cohorts? Drawing on the National Longitudinal Mortality Study, this lecture showcases a series of studies that speak to these issues. Evidence is provided that documents important shifts in the importance of advanced education in reducing adult mortality. In addition, evidence is also reported for an alarming increase in absolute mortality risk for poorly educated women. Mortality compression increases dramatically with higher levels of education – especially among American women. Cohort processes appear to play the dominant role in explaining the changing nature of the association between education and adult mortality. Reasons for these profound changes in the association are discussed.
About the presenter
Mark D. Hayward's primary research interests center on the influence of life course exposures and events on the morbidity and mortality experiences of the older population. Presently, he is involved in several studies focusing on the origins of health disparities at older ages: early life influences on socioeconomic, race and gender disparities in adult morbidity and mortality, the demography of race/ethnic and gender disparities in healthy life expectancy; social inequality in the biomarkers of aging, and the health consequences of marriage, divorce, and widowhood. Recent publications have focused on changes in morbidity and mortality determining trends in healthy life expectancy, socioeconomic and race/ethnic differences in healthy life expectancy, the association between childhood health and adult morbidity, and the socioeconomic origins of the race gap in chronic disease morbidity. His recently published work has appeared in the American Sociological Review, Demography, the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, and Social Science and Medicine. Further details are accessible at http://www.prc.utexas.edu/mhayward/hayward_vita.pdf