Education and health-behaviour among men and women in Sweden: a 27-year prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND

Previous research has found a positive association between health-behaviour and health. Only a few longitudinal studies have been performed, and as far as we found, none have followed a cohort for 27 years.

METHODS

This study used a cohort study, the "Northern Swedish Cohort", which consisted of all graduates, n = 1080, from a compulsory school in a Swedish town. Data were collected with a comprehensive questionnaire; response rate 96.4%. Health-behaviour was analysed with binary logistic regression, with health-behaviour at age 21, 30 and 43 years as dependent variable. Besides baseline health-behaviour, gender, somatic and psychological health and socioeconomic background, the analyses were adjusted for work situation and social network.

RESULTS

The main findings were that education reduces the probability of unhealthy behaviour over the life course, which held after controlling for early life health-behaviour and possible confounders. The general education effect on health-behaviour was stronger among men than among women.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher education reduces the probability of unhealthy behavior. Thus, investments in higher education should be an important public goal.