The Association between Education and Mortality for Adults with Intellectual Disability
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2017
Abstract
Although the relationship between education and mortality is well documented in the general population, it has not been examined for adults with intellectual disability. Informed by fundamental cause theory, I explore the association between education and mortality in a sample of 4,241 adults with intellectual disability from the 1986–2009 National Health Interview Survey with Linked Mortality Files through 2011. Cox regression models were utilized to analyze the predictive effect of education on mortality risk while taking into account birth cohort differences. Increased education was associated with lower mortality risk for adults with intellectual disability, and this relationship strengthened in later birth cohorts who had greater access to the public education system. Comparison with a sample of 21,205 adults without intellectual disability demonstrates that the association between education and mortality risk was not as robust for adults with intellectual disability and highlights the ongoing socioeconomic challenges faced by this population.
Publication Title
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
Volume
58
Issue
1
First Page
70
Last Page
85
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.1177/0022146516683227
PubMed ID
28661768
ISSN
00221465
E-ISSN
21506000
Citation Information
Landes. (2017). The Association between Education and Mortality for Adults with Intellectual Disability. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 58(1), 70–85. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022146516683227