Using evidence from industrialised countries such as the UK and US as well as developing countries such as China and Brazil, the review found an adult’s risk of mortality went down by 2% for every year in full-time education. Completing primary, secondary and tertiary education is the equivalent of a lifetime of eating a healthy diet, lowering the risk of death by 34% compared with someone with no formal education, according to the peer-reviewed analysis in The Lancet Public Health journal.
At the opposite extreme, not attending school at any point is as bad for adult health as consuming five or more alcoholic drinks or smoking 10 cigarettes a day for a decade.
The study adds impetus to efforts in England to ensure children stay at school, with experts saying the results underline connections between school attendance and health. It also implies that increases in the school leaving age and rising numbers of youngsters going into further and higher education could add years to life expectancy.
This story is from the January 24, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the January 24, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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