A recent study conducted in Japan highlighted the correlation between educational background and the risk of premature death, emphasizing that individuals with lower levels of education face a higher likelihood of early mortality. The research, conducted by the National Cancer Center, discovered that those who only completed junior high school education had a 40 percent higher risk of early death compared to those with a university or higher education degree. Even senior high school graduates were found to have a 20 percent increased risk of premature death.

Previous studies in Japan have uncovered a trend where individuals with limited educational opportunities tend to engage in more smoking habits and undergo cancer screenings less frequently. These health-related behaviors were identified as major contributors to the observed differences in mortality rates among individuals with varying levels of education. By utilizing statistics from approximately 8 million individuals between the ages of 30 and 79, researchers were able to analyze age-adjusted death rates across different educational categories, revealing significant disparities in mortality rates between graduates of university or higher education, high school graduates, and junior high school graduates.

The study's findings shed light on the impact of educational disparities on mortality rates, particularly highlighting significant differences in cause-specific death rates such as cerebral vascular diseases, lung cancer, ischemic heart diseases, and gastric cancer among individuals with varying levels of education in Japan. The research team noted that while educational inequalities in mortality were observed, they were smaller in Japan compared to countries like the United States and Europe, with factors like universal health insurance coverage potentially playing a role in mitigating the disparities. Moving forward, researchers aim to conduct larger-scale studies to further understand and address these health disparities, with the ultimate goal of recommending interventions to reduce the gap in premature death risk based on educational background.