Dropping out of school is as harmful as five drinks a day
Scientists from the Norwegian Institute of Science and Technology have revealed the life-prolonging benefits of education, regardless of age, gender, location, social and demographic status. The results of the study are published in The Lancet Public Health.
It has previously been shown that those who have achieved higher levels of education live longer than others, but until now it was not known to what extent. The researchers found that the risk of premature death, regardless of cause, decreased by two percent with each additional year of education. Those who completed six years of primary school had an average 13 percent lower risk. After graduating from high school, the risk decreased by almost 25 percent, and 18 years of education decreased the risk by 34 percent.
Compared to the impact of unhealthy habits, dropping out of school is almost as harmful as drinking five or more alcoholic drinks a day or smoking ten cigarettes a day for 10 years.
Although the benefits of education are greatest for young people, people over 50 and even 70 still benefit from the protective effects of education. However, no significant difference in the effects of education was found between countries at different stages of economic development.
