The effect of education and work on functional limitations in later life in cohorts affected by the Cultural Revolution and economic reform

Abstract

Background

This study examines the moderation effect of work on education level in terms of functional limitations across different People’s Republic of China (PRC) cohorts born around 1949, who experienced the Cultural Revolution and economic reform.

Methods

Data were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Multilevel Tobit regression models were used to analyze the effects of education and work on functional limitations from 2011 to 2018 across cohorts. The interaction effects of education and work were used to examine how work moderates the effect of education level on functional limitations.

Results

Interrupted education during the Cultural Revolution decreased the proportion of PRC cohort members receiving college education. The protective effects of education were found only among those with rural jobs. In the late-PRC cohort, higher returns to education after the economic reform in China were associated with the effect of higher education level on functional limitations.

Conclusion

The Cultural Revolution and Economic Reform shaped the education and work for cohorts, which in turn, impact the functional limitations in later life.