Postsecondary Education and Adult Health Lifestyles
Examining Sources of Disparities
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15329787 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anthony Jehn (0000-0002-7690-5960, Assistant Professor, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, NB, Canada, corresponding author), Greggory J Cullen (0000-0001-6743-2279, Mount Royal University), Greggory Cullen (Assistant Professor, Mount Royal University, Calgary, AB, Canada) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 486-506 |
| Publication date | 2025-10-31 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | American Journal of Health Behavior (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1087-3244 • E-ISSN: 1945-7359 |
| Publisher | PNG Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.5993/ajhb.49.5.1 |
| OpenAlex | W7109334155 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 52 |
Objectives: Approximately 58.5 million Americans in their thirties and forties have some form of postsecondary education; however, health risk behaviors remain disproportionately concentrated among those with lower educational attainment. In this study, we examine and decompose disparities in adult health lifestyles by level of postsecondary education, identifying the underlying social and economic factors contributing to these differences. Methods: We drew data from Waves I (1995) and V (2018) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). We analyzed a composite health behavior index, capturing binge drinking, smoking, marijuana use, physical activity, nutrition, and body mass index, using Poisson regression models and Kitagawa-Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition techniques. Explanatory factors include demographic characteristics, parental background, social context, economic well-being, and employment characteristics. Results: Economic well-being explained the largest share of the disparities in health behaviors by postsecondary education. Demographics, parental background, and social context also contributed significantly. However, after controlling for personal and household income, employment characteristics did not account for a notable portion of the observed behavioral disparities. Conclusions: Disparities in adult health lifestyles related to postsecondary education are mainly caused by structural socioeconomic factors. Addressing these underlying factors may be essential to reducing behavioral inequalities linked to educational attainment
Context (archaeology · Health equity · Inequality · Life course approach · Longitudinal study · Poisson regression · Social determinants of health · Socioeconomic status · Young adult · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations · Health disparities and outcomes · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
The Causal Effect of Education on Health
Social connection as a critical factor for mental and physical health
Childhood socioeconomic status and adult health
Religious attendance and the health behaviors of Texas adults
Early-life and adult socioeconomic status and inflammatory risk markers in adulthood
Cohort Profile
The Collective Dynamics of Smoking in a Large Social Network
Socioeconomic Status and Health Behaviors in Adolescence
Male-Female Wage Differentials in Urban Labor Markets
Rising morbidity and mortality in midlife among white non-Hispanic Americans in the 21st century
The Blinder–Oaxaca Decomposition for Linear Regression Models
Wage Discrimination
Tracking Health Inequalities from High School to Midlife
The relationship between postsecondary education and adult health behaviors
Is the association between childhood socioeconomic circumstances and cause-specific mortality established? Update of a systematic review
Heterogeneity in Educational Pathways and the Health Behavior of U.S. Young Adults
Dynamics of health behaviours and socioeconomic differences in mortality in the USA
Socioeconomic Gradients in Health for White and Mexican-Origin Populations
The Contribution of Smoking to Educational Gradients in U.S. Life Expectancy
Gender and Health Behavior Clustering among U.S. Young Adults
Effect Displays for Multinomial and Proportional-Odds Logit Models
Does college major matter for women's and men's health in midlife? Examining the horizontal dimensions of educational attainment
Siblings, friends, course-mates, club-mates
The effects of social adversity, discrimination, and health risk behaviors on the accelerated aging of African Americans
Education, gender, and mortality
Sex differences in the effect of education on depression
Sociology of professions
Marriage and Health in the Transition to Adulthood
Contributions and Challenges in Health Lifestyles Research
Family, Peer, and School Influences on Children's Developing Health Lifestyles
Health Lifestyles in Adolescence and Self-rated Health into Adulthood
Why Do College Graduates Behave More Healthfully Than Those Who Are Less Educated
Health Lifestyle Theory and the Convergence of Agency and Structure
Socioeconomic Disparities in Health Behaviors
Social and Economic Returns to College Education in the United States
Widening Educational Disparities in Health and Longevity
Social Relationships and Health Behavior Across the Life Course
Gender and the Health Benefits of Education
Conceptualizing Contemporary Health Lifestyles
Linked Ecologies
Why does college education matter? Unveiling the contributions of selection factors
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |