Schooling and Seat Belt Use

In health production literature, schooling has distinguished itself as the most important correlate of good according to Fuchs 11. Economists have been so persuasive in their demonstration of importance of schooling that medical researchers are increasingly drawing attention to lack of schooling as a risk factor in a variety of diseases 24. While there is little doubt among health economists about empirical strength of relation between schooling and health, there is considerable controversy surrounding explanations for empirical association. Grossman 15; 16 maintains that schooling directly enhances health, for example, by increasing knowledge pertaining to healthy habits. Fuchs 11; 12, on other hand, maintains that schooling serves as an empirical proxy for some unobserved third variable which also happens to be associated with health. The third variable most frequently mentioned is time preference. Fuchs rejects Grossman idea that education plays a direct role in promoting health. The debate has relevance for policy. If schooling promotes health, it could be argued that expenditures on schooling could be compared to, for example, expenditures on medical care as an alternative for increasing average life-spans. But, if Fuchs is right, any expenditure comparisons would be futile.