Effect of intergenerational educational mobility on health of Indian women.

Akanksha Choudhary,Ashish Singh,Vijayaprasad Gopichandran

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0203633

Abstract

This study aims to analyse the relationship between intergenerational educational mobility and the overall health of the Indian women. It uses a nationally representative survey, India Human Development Survey (IHDS) 2011–12, and logistic regressions to study this relationship. The sample comprises of women aged 45 years and older. We find that the women experiencing upward intergenerational educational mobility (vis-a-vis their mothers) have significantly higher chances of experiencing good overall health compared to the women who are having same or lesser level of education as that of their mothers. Besides, women suffering from short term or major morbidity have remarkably lower chances of having overall good health. Also, women from rural India have significantly lesser chances of having overall good health as compared to that of urban areas. Further, Muslim women have lesser chances of having overall good health as that of women from other religious categories. Moreover, there is a significant variation in the overall health of women as we move from the eastern region to the western region of India.

Highlights

Education plays a vital role in the social and economic development of an economy and leads to healthier lives for individuals
Using a nationally representative survey, our paper analyses how attaining a particular level of education in the Indian context by a woman which is equal, less or more than her mother impacts the overall health of that woman
As the health measured in this study is self-reported overall health, it captures the psychological component of health as well

Summary

Introduction

Education plays a vital role in the social and economic development of an economy and leads to healthier lives for individuals. Health and education have always been among the prime concerns of policymakers as well as researchers for the overall development of a society. The association between education and health of individuals is one aspect of the research on education and health whereas; the education of one generation affecting the education and health of the generation is another. While linking the education of one generation to the education and health related issues of the generation; the existing studies have impressed upon the fact that it is the mother’s education which plays a more significant role in affecting the educational and health

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Conclusion