摘要:Contemporary research primarily in the West offers a strong case for the
relationship between formal education and adult health; more education,
measured either by level completed or years of schooling, is associated, often in a
stepwise fashion, with lower levels of mortality, morbidity and disability. In this
study, we attempt to provide a global assessment of that relationship as it pertains
to adult disability, using sample data from 70 countries that participated in the
World Health Survey. In each of five regions and some of the largest countries
outside the West we find that an increase in formal education is associated with
lower levels of disability in both younger and older adults. Using the regional
education-based differentials and several estimates of growth in education levels,
we project levels of disability to 2050 to estimate the health and human capital
benefits obtained from investments in education. We find that considering
education in the population projection consistently shows lower prevalence of
disability in the future, and that scenarios with better education attainment lead to
lower prevalence. It is apparent that the educational dividend identified in our
projection scenario should be an important policy goal, which, if anything, should
be more speedily advanced in those countries and regions that have the greatest
need.