Mothers’ Out-of-Sequence Postsecondary Education and Their Health and Health Behaviors

Ample research suggests that the links between higher education and heath are robust and growing in strength. This research, however, tends to assume education was completed prior to assuming other adult roles. Importantly, the life course framework raises the question of whether “out-of-sequence” c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of health and social behavior 2021-03, Vol.62 (1), p.2-18
Main Author: Augustine, Jennifer March
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Children
Childrens health
Education
Health behavior
Health care policy
Health education
Health policy
Health research
Health status
Higher education
Life course
Maternal & child health
Maternal characteristics
Mothers
Questions
Secondary schools
Smoking
Well being
Women
Womens health
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Summary:Ample research suggests that the links between higher education and heath are robust and growing in strength. This research, however, tends to assume education was completed prior to assuming other adult roles. Importantly, the life course framework raises the question of whether “out-of-sequence” college completion conveys similar health returns. I investigate this question among a population for whom out-of-sequence schooling has grown more common: lower-educated mothers. This focus is also important given the growing education gap in women’s health and the links between maternal and child health. Data come from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4,898). Analyses involve random intercept and fixed effects models and diverse health measures. Findings suggest that postsecondary education does not improve mother’s health, except for reduced smoking among mothers with high school degrees or less that earned bachelor’s degrees. These findings inform health policy debates and theories linking education to health.
ISSN:0022-1465
2150-6000
DOI:10.1177/0022146520979664