Transgenerational persistence of education as a health risk: Findings from the Women Physicians' Health Study

Author: Frank, E. / Elon, L. / Hogue, C.
Publication: Journal of Womens Health & Gender-Based Medicine
Topics: Gender Ownership Social Science Surveillance/Data Collection
Keywords: gun socioeconomic status
Bibliographic information +

The authors examined the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on morbidity and mortality across generations, using SES and health data from a random selection of 2500 physicians from each of the last four decades’ graduating classes (1950–1989), including active, part-time, professionally inactive, and retired physicians, aged 30–70, who were not in residency training programs that were surveyed in the U.S. Women Physicians’ Health Study. They found that parents’ (especially mothers’) educational levels affect their adult children’s health habits and outcomes, even if those adult children are physicians. Those with better educated mothers ate more fruits and vegetables and were less likely to have a gun in their home; those with better educated fathers were more likely to have a regular physician.