Chennai Study Links Lack Of Education To Higher Premature Mortality Rates

A large-scale study conducted in Chennai has revealed that social inequality and low educational levels are significantly associated with higher rates of premature mortality. Published in a recent volume of Nature Health on July 2, 2026, the research established that middle-aged adults with no schooling have about three times the death rate of those with tertiary education, even when they do not smoke or drink.

The study was jointly conducted by the Epidemiological Research Centre (ERC) in Chennai and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. Researchers analyzed data from more than 500,000 adult participants aged 35 and over in Chennai, tracking their education, adult socioeconomic status, smoking, and alcohol consumption habits to understand their links to mortality before the age of 70. More than 52,000 premature deaths were recorded during the study's follow-up period.

According to the findings, one in 10 men and one in three women in the study had no schooling. Among men, those who both smoked and drank had double the death rate in middle age (35 to 69 years) compared to those with neither habit. Furthermore, men with no schooling were three times as likely to smoke or drink as men with tertiary education, compounding the social inequalities that drive premature mortality. Very few women in the study smoked or drank.

Gajalakshmi Vendhan, the Indian investigator from the Chennai-based ERC, explained that education served as a correlate of social class in the study. She noted that the researchers did not specifically study caste, income, or access to healthcare.

Vendhan added that within each educational level, beedi smoking was associated with a higher risk of mortality than cigarette smoking. While the study was centered in Chennai, she stated that the findings are relevant across India and potentially Southeast Asia.

To address these disparities, the researchers indicated that reducing premature mortality in India requires comprehensive policy changes. In addition to raising taxes on cigarettes and alcohol, they recommended implementing regular health screenings for citizens over the age of 50 and prioritizing efforts to raise the overall educational level of the population.