Education does not seem to improve health: Evidence from Indonesia

Parinduri, Rasyad (2015): Education does not seem to improve health: Evidence from Indonesia.

Abstract

I examine the effects of education on health in Indonesia using an exogenous variation in education induced by an extension of Indonesia's school term length in 1978-1979, a natural experiment that fits a regression discontinuity design. I find the longer school year increases educational attainment and wages, but I do not find evidence that education improves health. I explore some mechanisms through which education may affect health, but education does not seem to promote healthy lifestyles, increase the use of modern healthcare services, or improve access to health insurance; if anything, education improves only cognitive capacity.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: education, health, regression discontinuity design, Asia, Indonesia
• Subjects: H - Public Economics > H5 - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies > H52 - Government Expenditures and Education; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I12 - Health Behavior; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I1 - Health > I15 - Health and Economic Development; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I21 - Analysis of Education; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I25 - Education and Economic Development

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