Work

Different risks, same causes: educational attainment influences when, not from what, we die

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Education is a well-established determinant of lifespan and mortality risk. Individuals with lower education levels experience higher mortality from nearly all causes. Yet since everyone ultimately dies from some condition, how does education affect the causes of death? We show that the distribution of causes of death is remarkably similar across education levels in both Denmark and the United States. Despite notable differences in age at death between education groups, the underlying and contributing conditions leading to death remain consistent across education levels. These findings indicate that education mainly influences when people die, not what they die from.

Source: European Journal of Epidemiology

DOI: 10.1007/s10654-026-01427-w

Authors: Marie-Pier Bergeron-Boucher, Cosmo Strozza

Institution: University of Southern Denmark

Language: English

Topic: Health disparities and outcomes

Subfield: Health

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,690