Does Post-Graduate Education Affect Women’s Investment in Health? A Study of the Determinants of Preventative Health
by Shirley Johnson-Lans (Originally posted October 2005; revision posted July 2008)
Does the well established positive association between education and investment in health hold for education beyond college? This study examines the effect of having a postgraduate degree on investment in health, using an original data set composed of samples of several alumnae classes of women educated at the same undergraduate institution. The probability that a woman will have a biannual general physical, gynecological examination, mammogram, or a flu shot is modeled as a function of her education level and demographic and socioeconomic characteristics. Whether those with post-graduate education behave differently with respect to other health-related life style choices is also investigated.