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Forward-Thinking Teens: The Effects of College Costs on Adolescent Risky Behavior.
Economics of Education Review
|September 3, 2011
Summary
Lower college costs reduce risky behaviors in teenagers. Reduced tuition increases college expectations, leading to less substance use and fewer sexual partners among adolescents.
Area of Science:
- Economics
- Public Health
- Adolescent Psychology
Background:
- Higher education costs can influence adolescent decision-making.
- Adolescents with greater future educational prospects may avoid risky behaviors.
- Understanding the link between educational costs and adolescent risk-taking is crucial for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the impact of college costs on teenagers' engagement in risky behaviors.
- To determine if perceived college costs affect adolescent substance use and sexual activity.
- To investigate the role of educational expectations in mediating the relationship between college costs and risky behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Econometric analysis of the relationship between state-level college costs and adolescent risk-taking behaviors.
- Utilizing data on tuition and fees at two-year colleges.
- Measuring changes in substance use (smoking, marijuana) and number of sexual partners.
Main Results:
- A $1,000 reduction in state college costs correlated with a 26% decrease in sexual partners.
- Lower college costs were associated with a 14% reduction in days smoked and a 23% reduction in marijuana use.
- Reduced college costs positively impacted subjective expectations of college attendance.
Conclusions:
- Adolescents' expectations of college attendance, influenced by costs, shape their engagement in risky behaviors.
- Policies aimed at reducing college costs can be effective in deterring adolescent substance use and sexual activity.
- The correlation between schooling and health habits begins in adolescence, driven by future educational prospects.
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