High School Education, Science Knowledge, and Adult Health Behaviors: Longitudinal Data and the COVID-19 Pandemic

The General Social Survey (GSS) has been the main source of information about science knowledge in the United States. However, not much is known about how science knowledge is formed, developed, and changed across an individual’s life. We use the High School and Beyond (HS&B) survey, a longitudinal, nationally representative sample of respondents who were in high school in 1980 through 2022 to consider how experiences in adolescence contribute to later life science knowledge. We then use these adolescent experiences and science knowledge to predict health behaviors in midlife. By leveraging the design of the HS&B study, we can consider how science knowledge might matter for health behaviors, especially for individuals without a college degree. The results of this research provide further insight into what elements and practices about education shape adult health behaviors, which has grave implications in crises like COVID-19.