Analysis of the Return on Investment and Economic Impact of Education

Alcohol abuse Alcoholism is difficult to measure and define. There are many patterns of drinking, ranging from abstinence to heavy drinking. Alcohol abuse is riddled with social costs, including healthcare expenditures for treatment, prevention, and support; workplace losses due to reduced worker productivity; and other effects. Figure A9.2 compares the percent of males and females aged 26 and older that abuse or depend on alcohol at the less than high school level to the prevalence rate of alcoholism among college graduates, based on data supplied by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 46 These statistics give an indication of the correlation between education and the reduced probability of alcoholism. As indicated, alcohol dependence or abuse falls from a 7.7% prevalence rate among males with less than a high school diploma to a 6.9% prevalence rate among males with a college degree. Similarly, alcohol dependence or abuse among females ranges from a 3.7% prevalence rate at the less than high school level to a 3.3% prevalence rate at the college graduate level. 6.0% 100+90 48+42 Males Females FIGURE A9.2: Prevalence of alcohol dependence or abuse by sex and education level Less than high school College graduate 8.0% 4.0% 2.0% 0.0%

FIGURE A9.3: Prevalence of obesity by education level

Males

Females

Obesity The rise in obesity and diet-related chronic diseases has led to increased attention on how expenditures relating to obesity have increased in recent years. The average cost of obesity-related medical conditions is calculated using information from the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine , which reports incremental medical expenditures and productivity losses due to excess weight. 47 The CDC also reports the prevalence of obesity among adults by state. 48 Data for Figure A9.3 was provided by the National Center for Health Statistics which shows the prevalence of obesity among adults aged 20 years and over by education and sex. 49 As indicated, college graduates are less likely to be obese than individuals with a high school diploma. However, the prevalence of obesity among males with some college is actually greater than males 47 Eric A. Finkelstein, Marco da Costa DiBonaventura, Somali M. Burgess, and Brent C. Hale, “The Costs of Obesity in the Workplace,” Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 52, no. 10 (October 2010): 971-976. 48 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Adult Obesity Facts,” Overweight and Obesity, accessed August 2013, http://www.cdc.gov/ obesity/data/adult.html#Prevalence. 49 Cynthia L. Ogden, Molly M. Lamb, Margaret D. Carroll, and Katherine M. Flegal, “Figure 3. Prevalence of obesity among adults aged 20 years and over, by education, sex, and race and ethnicity: United States 2005-2008” in “Obesity and Socioeconomic Status in Adults: United States 2005-2008,” NCHS data brief no. 50, Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, 2010. 84+87+65 95+92+56 High school graduate College graduate Some college 45.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 25.0% 40.0% 35.0% 30.0% 5.0% 0.0%

46 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, “Table 5.7B - Substance Dependence or Abuse in the Past Year among Persons Aged 26 or Older, by Demographic Characteristics: Percentages, 2010 and 2011,” Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2010 and 2011.

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