Study in Japan shows that education gap impacts mortality rates

A recent nationwide study in Japan has revealed that individuals with a lower educational background are at a higher risk of early death compared to those with a university-level education. The study, conducted by the National Cancer Center, found that premature death rates were 40 percent higher among those who only completed junior high school, and 20 percent higher among senior high school graduates.

The research team analyzed data from approximately 8 million people aged 30 to 79 by linking national census and death records. They found that health-associated behaviors such as smoking and lack of regular cancer screenings were more prevalent among those with lower levels of education, contributing to the differences in mortality rates.

The study also highlighted specific causes of death where the disparities were particularly pronounced, including cerebral vascular diseases, lung cancer, ischemic heart diseases, and gastric cancer. Despite these findings, researchers noted that educational inequalities in mortality were smaller in Japan compared to the United States and Europe, attributing this difference to factors such as universal health insurance coverage.

Hirokazu Tanaka, a researcher at the National Cancer Center, emphasized the importance of conducting further studies on a larger scale to address health disparities and make recommendations for reducing the impact of educational background on mortality rates. The team’s findings were published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, providing valuable insights into the relationship between education and premature death in Japan.