However, the individuals in the current study grew up when smoking was far more common than it is today. suggest that extending education, for example by increasing school-leaving age, could make the population as a whole healthier. For each of these outcomes, the effects of education are all in addition to the effects of intelligence.Įducation and intelligence thus affect life outcomes together and independently. They also tend to have lower BMIs, be less likely to smoke, and engage in less sedentary behaviour and more frequent vigorous exercise in midlife. However, more educated people also tend to earn more, even after accounting for their intelligence. For instance, there is evidence that more intelligent people tend to earn more, irrespective of their education. Analysing genetic and lifestyle data from almost 140,000 healthy middle-aged volunteers from the UK Biobank study suggested that together, intelligence and education influence many life outcomes, but also that they have independent effects. have now turned to genetics to explore this question, focusing on genetic variation associated with intelligence and education levels. Because education and intelligence are so closely related, it is difficult to tease apart their roles in people’s health.ĭavies et al. This may explain why they tend to adopt healthier behaviours, such as being less likely to smoke. But, on average, highly educated people also score more highly on cognitive tests. This might be because education helps people adopt a healthier lifestyle, as well as qualifying them for better-paid jobs.
Highly educated people tend to be healthier and have higher incomes than those with less schooling.
If the Mendelian randomization assumptions hold, these findings suggest that both intelligence and education affect health. Higher educational attainment had positive direct effects on income, alcohol consumption, and vigorous physical activity, and negative direct effects on smoking, BMI and sedentary behaviour. Higher intelligence had positive direct effects on income and alcohol consumption, and negative direct effects on moderate and vigorous physical activity. Both intelligence and education had beneficial total effects. We used univariate and multivariable Mendelian randomization to estimate the total and direct effects of intelligence and educational attainment on mental and physical health, measures of socioeconomic position, and longevity. Intelligence and education are phenotypically and genetically correlated, which makes it difficult to elucidate causal relationships. However, these associations are insufficient to prove that intelligence and/or education cause these outcomes. Intelligence and education are predictive of better physical and mental health, socioeconomic position (SEP), and longevity.
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