The impact of education on instrumental activities of daily living: evidence from Europe using SHARE data

Mohammad Almomani and Mohammad Al-Masaeid

Journal of Economic Studies, 2025, vol. 52, issue 9, 289-303

Abstract: PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between education and difficulties in Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) among older adults across Europe. It explores how this relationship varies by cultural context, gender, using robust econometric techniques to account for potential endogeneity.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) for individuals aged 50 and over, we employ both probit and IV-Probit estimator regressions to estimate the impact of education on IADL difficulties. We employ compulsory schooling as instrumental variable. We conduct heterogeneity analyses by gender and cultural orientation (individualistic vs. collectivistic countries).FindingsEducation significantly reduces IADL difficulties, particularly in collectivistic societies and among older women. The effect is less pronounced or statistically insignificant in individualistic countries. Robustness checks confirm the stability of these results across alternative specifications and subsamples.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the literature by highlighting the cultural and demographic nuances in the education-health relationship. It underscores the importance of considering societal values and gender roles when designing policies aimed at promoting healthy aging and functional independence.

Keywords: Education; IADLs; Healthy Ageing; Compulsory Schooling; SHARE data; Europe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.emerald.com/jes/article/52/9/289/13189 ... trumental-activities (text/html)
https://www.emerald.com/jes/article-pdf/52/9/289/10862330/jes-07-2025-0518en.pdf (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:jespps:jes-07-2025-0518

DOI: 10.1108/JES-07-2025-0518

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Economic Studies is currently edited by Prof Mohsen Bahmani-Oskooee

More articles in Journal of Economic Studies from Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Emerald Support ().