A note on the effects of education on youth smoking in a developing country

Abstract

This paper investigates smoking behavior among youths and its relationship with education, cognitive skills, risk aversion and patience, using the Indonesian Family Life Survey. The results suggest that receiving an education above junior high school level is associated with a lower probability and intensity of smoking. Moreover, the effects of education remain robust even when variables that are considered to mediate the relationship between education and smoking - cognitive skills, risk aversion and patience - are controlled for. In spite of the difference between the smoking environment in Indonesia and that of developed countries, most results are consistent with those generally found in developed countries. © 2013 © 2013 Taylor & Francis.