Primary Submission Category: Non-health institutions (business, political, education systems)
Educational Trajectories and Midlife Health
Authors: Kelsey Shaulis,
Presenting Author: Kelsey Shaulis*
Higher levels of educational attainment are associated with better physical adult health (Lee et al., 2013; Lynch, 2003; Ross & Wu, 1995). Through direct and indirect paths, education can contribute to enhanced resources that can be mobilized to promote and protect health (Carroll et al., 2017; Hayward et al., 2015; Link & Phelan, 1995; Moore & Hayward, 1990). Despite evidence supporting the linear relationship between educational attainment and health, inconsistencies in this relationship have emerged as a glitch in the gradient (Zajacova, Rogers, and Johnson-Lawrence, 2012). In particular, adults with two-year degrees or some college report equivalent, if not worse, health outcomes than those with a high school degree (Zajacova et al., 2012, 2020; Zajacova & Johnson-Lawrence, 2016). The pathways through which adults end up with these education levels are suggested to contribute to this unexpected finding. Specifically, those with some college have failed to complete a credential which could add psychological stress, stigma, or financial constraints (Zajacova et al., 2020).
Using longitudinal data from the sophomore cohort of the High School and Beyond (HS&B:So) study (n=8,790), the current study aims to identify classes of multidimensional educational trajectories and explore the association between the identified classes and midlife cardiovascular and metabolic disease. I will begin by identifying latent classes of educational trajectories defined by a series of indicators (highest degree attained, age at attainment of highest degree, time to degree, degrees attempted but not completed, and spells of enrollment) beyond a single measure of degree attainment. Among sample members, returning to education in adulthood is common (61%) (Grodsky et al. 2021) and variation in these trajectories is expected. The identified classes will then be used to estimate the regression of midlife cardiovascular and metabolic disease on the classes of educational trajectories.