The Effect of Vietnam-Era Conscription and Genetic Potential for Educational Attainment on Schooling Outcomes.

TitleThe Effect of Vietnam-Era Conscription and Genetic Potential for Educational Attainment on Schooling Outcomes.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsSchmitz, LL, Conley, DC
JournalEconomics of Education Review
Volume61
Pagination85-97
ISSN Number0272-7757
KeywordsEducation, Genetics, GWAS, PGS, Veterans
Abstract

This study examines whether draft lottery estimates of the causal effects of Vietnam-era military service on schooling vary by an individual's genetic propensity toward educational attainment. To capture the complex genetic architecture that underlies the bio-developmental pathways, behavioral traits and evoked environments associated with educational attainment, we construct polygenic scores (PGS) for respondents in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) that aggregate thousands of individual loci across the human genome and weight them by effect sizes derived from a recent genome-wide association study (GWAS) of years of education. Our findings suggest veterans with below average PGSs for educational attainment may have completed fewer years of schooling than comparable non-veterans. On the other hand, we do not find any difference in the educational attainment of veterans and non-veterans with above average PGSs. Results indicate that public policies and exogenous environments may induce heterogeneous treatment effects by genetic disposition.

DOI10.1016/j.econedurev.2017.10.001
User Guide Notes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29375175?dopt=Abstract

Alternate JournalEcon Educ Rev
Citation Key9514
PubMed ID29375175
PubMed Central IDPMC5785107
Grant ListT32 AG000221 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
U01 AG009740 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P30 AG012846 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P2C HD047879 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
R00 AG056599 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
K99 AG056599 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States