HEALTH-RELATED LIFE-STYLE IN ADOLESCENCE PREDICTS ADULT EDUCATIONAL-LEVEL - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY FROM FINLAND

Objective-To assess the relative importance of perceived health and he alth related Lifestyle in adolescence in the production of educational differences. Design-A longitudinal study: survey data from 1981 and 1 985 linked with Educational Registry data from 1993. Setting-The whole of Finland. Participants-A representative sample of 4761 16 and 18 ye ar olds. The follow up rate was 82%. Measurements and main results-The outcome variable was the attained educational level at age 24 to 30. Predictive variables described health related lifestyle and health at the age of 16 and 18. Those whose educational level was low at follow up, had in adolescence, a more health compromising lifestyle than thos e who had reached higher levels. They had placed less emphasis on heal th promoting behaviours Like not smoking, physical exercise, good diet , and dental hygiene. Smoking was the outstanding predictor of attaine d educational level. Among the health variables, only psychosomatic sy mptoms predicted high educational levels in girls, and both psychosoma tic symptoms and height in boys. Conclusion-Those who reach a high lev el of education in adulthood, have had a health enhancing lifestyle al ready in adolescence, while those reaching only a low level, have had a health compromising lifestyle. Health plays only a small part in the prediction of adult educational level. The results suggest that a hea lth compromising lifestyle, adopted already in adolescence, is an impo rtant mechanism from which educational health differences originate.