Educated women live longer

It is now believed that a woman's educational level can have an influence on her life span and on her partner's life span. This has come from a study involving 1.5 million individuals. The study found that a woman's level of education was actually more important than the man's level when it came to how long his life span would end up being. On the other hand, a man's social class and income seemed to have a larger impact on a woman's chances of living a longer life than the impact of her own employment.

This research was performed by experts at the Stockholm University. They examined data retrieved from the 1990 Swedish Census on 1.5 million individuals who ranged in age from 30 to 59, who were also under employment. Information retrieved on the cause of death, including such things as cancer, and circulatory diseases such as heart disease and stroke were then examined for the following thirteen year period. Education was found to be a relevant issue when it came to the instances of death, as well as also being affected indirectly by occupation and income. Education probably also affects the ability to choose a good, healthy partner that is good for you also. It is believed that the more educated the woman, the more aware she may be about healthy diets and medical treatments, this awareness would influence not only their life span, but also that of their partner. It is the woman that generally takes more responsibility for the household than men, this may be where the education of the woman comes in as it relates to the family's lifestyle and eating habits. The man's education probably wouldn't have much effect in this area because of his lack of interaction with the household duties. A woman with higher education will more likely seek out information about healthy lifestyles and will be able to understand and assimilate the information they receive. This means that the woman's education could have substantial influence where the man's health is concerned, as she would be more likely to know what to do in certain circumstances and may be able to make sure that the partner receive better medical treatment. In this area, the man's educational level would also play a part in the woman's lifespan as he would also be more likely to seek advice and deal with his partner's health issues.

It is believed that a man's income level will greatly influence the death rates of both sexes, this is probably because men generally make the major part of the income the family receives and therefore is the standard by which the family lives. If the male partner is one of lower educational status, he will also be one of lower income, meaning that the family will live on a lower level than one with a male making a much larger income. This means the housing quality, the food quality and the health care quality could all be substantially lower, leaving both partners open for health issues due to lack of finances to prevent or thwart them.

This article was written by Tom Sangers on behalf of Northampton College who offer a Northampton Education, full and part time courses including NVQ Courses in Northampton.