Education and staying on at school are linked to fewer hospital visits as an adult
- Jamie Stevenson
- Jul 25
- 4 min read
New research suggests that staying in school is linked to fewer hospital appointments in midlife.
A study published this week examined the relationship between the educational records of approximately 7,000 people born in the 1950s in Aberdeen and their use of the NHS at midlife.
Researchers supported by The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) were based in Southampton, Swansea and Aberdeen. They found that, on average, children with higher education and academic ability and who stayed on longer in full-time education tended to use NHS services less in midlife.
Dr Sebastian Stannard, who is based at the University of Southampton and the lead researcher on the published study, said:
“This is a fascinating delve into the lives of people from more than 70 years ago in one part of the UK. What we can do is compare the anonymous data from then with those people now to determine what influences their health and use of the NHS.
It’s like getting access to a time capsule, a snapshot of people’s childhood and comparing it to the lives of those people now.”
The researchers hope that by being able to look at anonymous data records in the past, they may spot what factors have influenced people’s health now. In this case, looking at what’s called the ‘burden of long-term conditions’. Often, that includes things like how many medications or NHS appointments they must manage as they get older.
Professor Nisreen Alwan MBE leads research into Healthy Communities for NIHR ARC Wessex and is a co-author on the study. For several years, she has been working with academics and doctors from around the UK and abroad to research how people can live longer and healthier lives.
“This study confirms the association between educational attainment and health later in life. Focusing on education in early life is not only beneficial in the short term but can impact health in the long term”
This research is part of the wider MELD-B research project, which aims to use an Artificial Intelligence (AI) enhanced analysis of birth cohort data and electronic health records to identify lifecourse time points and targets for the prevention of early-onset, burdensome MLTC (Multiple Long Term Conditions). It is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and supported by NIHR ARC Wessex.
Notes to editors:
The article published in the European Journal of Public Health is available here:
Professor Nisreen Alwan MBE, is Professor of Public Health at the University of Southampton and Co-PI of the MELD-B project
Professor Ann Berrington is Professor of Demography and Social Statistics at the University of Southampton
Professor Simon Fraser is Professor of Public Health at the University of Southampton and PI of the MELD-B project
Professor Rhiannon Owen is Professor of Statistics at Swansea University Medical School, Health and Care Research Wales (HCRW) Senior Research Leader, HCRW-NIHR Advanced Fellow, and Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.
Professor Shantini Paranjothy is Honorary Clinical Chair at the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition at the University of Aberdeen, and Deputy Director of Public Health at NHS Grampian.
Communications at NIHR ARC Wessex: jamie.stevenson@soton.ac.uk
Media Manager at the University of Southampton: p.franklin@soton.ac.uk
Communications at the University of Aberdeen: communications@abdn.ac.uk
Communications at the University of Swansea: press@swansea.ac.uk
Communications at NHS Grampian: gram.communications@nhs.scot
MELD-B study: https://www.meldbstudy.org.uk/
NIHR ARC Wessex Long-term Conditions theme: https://www.arc-wx.nihr.ac.uk/long-term-conditions
This research is funded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research, Applied Research Collaboration Wessex. This carries out health and social care research together with partners and with the support of patients and the public. The aim is to make life better and healthier for communities.
For more information about what NIHR ARC Wessex does please visit: https://www.arc-wx.nihr.ac.uk
The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:
· Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
· Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
· Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
· Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
· Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
· Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.
NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.
The University of Southampton drives original thinking, turns knowledge into action and impact, and creates solutions to the world’s challenges. We are among the top 100 institutions globally (QS World University Rankings 2025). Our academics are leaders in their fields, forging links with high-profile international businesses and organisations, and inspiring a 22,000-strong community of exceptional students, from over 135 countries worldwide. Through our high-quality education, the University helps students on a journey of discovery to realise their potential and join our global network of over 200,000 alumni. www.southampton.ac.uk
Video of Aberdeen in 1950s from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQgbSYnhpcg
