In many ways a person’s health is in his or her hands, while experts tirelessly insist on this, urging people to lead a healthy lifestyle. It would seem that the prescription is rather uncomplicated, yet the number of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes is growing worldwide, which, as a rule, is primarily caused by a sedentary lifestyle, excessive weight, and alcohol abuse. The role of education in one’s health is one of the factors that determine further health outcomes and life duration expectancy. The problem is that limited access of people with low or no education to health care services and a lack of awareness regarding their own health lead to the development of chronic diseases as well as higher morbidity and mortality rates.
In this regard, the purpose of this paper is to examine the role of education in the population’s health in the US, focusing on both positive and negative aspects and considering various links between the mentioned issues. Beginning with the definition of education as an integral part of health, the paper proceeds with the evidence of causal associations between education and population health, including such consequences as stress, morbidity, asthma, hypertension, etc. Furthermore, academic and health equity are discussed to reflect the role of these issues on the population’s health in the US. Ultimately, this paper provides evidence-based recommendations on how to address the identified problem and conclusion, which summarizes the key points considered.
Education as an Element of Health
According to the definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), health is determined as both the “absence of injury or disease and a person’s full psychological, physical, and social well-being” (“Constitution of WHO: Principles,” n.d., para. 1). In the conditions of complicated social and economic relations and the transformation of the modern society, physiological and psychological problems arise, changing internal feelings and affecting health and behaviors of the younger generation. Therefore, in recent years, specialists have been paying attention to the development of a culture of health as an integral component of the system of education.
A low social status in society affects a person with time, exacerbating his or her health issues and facilitating the process of aging. People who received only a high school diploma and those who did not even graduate from it are more prone to develop chronic diseases. Specialists emphasize that modern education systems are not perfect enough as they are aimed at mere transfer of a person further, giving as much knowledge as possible in different areas, but there is no concern for the psyche of students (Embrett & Randall, 2014). The consequences are not noticeable at first, but then they develop quite quickly, harming the health of students. Socio-economic differences are significant factors of inequality in education and health. This assumption is based on the concepts of the mechanisms of the connection between health and inequality in the economic situation.
Embrett and Randall (2014) note that in some cases, these mechanisms are fairly obvious, in others, they are complex and do not lie on the surface. Thus, the level of income determines the differences in life standards – the quantity and quality of the required goods and services. In turn, calorie, the variety and balance of nutrition, the protective and sanitary-hygienic issues, convenience requirements tend to change with education levels. Differences in living conditions form unequal opportunities for adaptation along with the ability to cope with physical and emotional stress. Inequality in life standards determines the inequality of opportunities in using effective measures and methods in combating emerging health problems. With similar mechanisms of transferring the impact of educational inequality on health, one may state that the relationships between health indicators and an educational status have a form of dependence – the better the economic situation, the better health.
Evidence of Causal Associations Between Education and Population Health
The level of education directly affects the life expectancy of a person, as noted by the American scientists. An estimate of the number of annual deaths attributable to lack of high school education among persons 25–64 years of age in the United States (237,410) exceeds the number of deaths attributed to cigarette smoking among persons 35–64 years of age (163,500)” (Hahn & Truman, 2015, p. 662). The authors analyzed the life expectancy of people born in different decades as well as the death rate them. It turned out that people with a high scientific degree had an average life expectancy higher compared to their contemporaries with low education or a complete lack thereof.
The authors estimated that getting a full school education could save the lives of people born in the middle of the twentieth century and died in 2010, and higher education could prevent even more deaths. Experts explain this trend by the fact that people who have higher education have more developed cognitive abilities, their work is paid higher, they eat better products, and live in more appropriate conditions. It turns out that those people who have finished studying in universities live longer. To find this out, scientists compared the differences in DNA and the lifestyle features of 600 people (Hummer & Hernandez, 2013). As a result, researchers assured that every year held in a higher educational institution extends life approximately for a year. Studying at a university promotes the right way of life as it gives knowledge about the role of nutrition and bad habits on the state of health. At the same time, continuous mental activity suspends the aging process
As for morbidity, in people with higher education, chronic diseases were met only in 20 out of 100 cases, but people with secondary education experienced chronic illnesses in 44 cases (Clark, Gong, & Kaciroti, 2014). The risk blood pressure problems and cardiovascular disease is higher in people with low education (Williams, Priest, & Anderson, 2016). Since the role of the immune system in the development of asthma is significant, people living in dysfunctional regions is high. Recently, the significant impact of health inequalities have been discovered, in particular, it has been established that chronic stress related to dissatisfaction with the occupied socioeconomic situation can lead to a change in the neuroendocrinal and psychological functioning of the body and increase the risk of diseases (Clark et al., 2014). It is considered that a prolonged state of fear, insecurity, low self-esteem, social isolation, as well as the inability to make decisions and control the situation at work and home have a serious impact on health. It causes depression, increases predisposition to infectious diseases, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases.
Health Benefits Associated with Education
As a rule, people with lower levels of education or low professional qualifications tend to die at a younger age; in these population groups, the prevalence of many diseases and injuries is much higher, while life expectancy is decreased. There are several reasons that promote the increased life duration in people with higher education. For example, they lead a better lifestyle. Those with education tend to behave differently as they smoke less, drink alcohol adequately, have appropriate weight, and visit doctors regularly (Clark et al., 2014). More to the point, those with higher education receive better-paid jobs, requiring less physical exertion and giving more pleasure. As a result, they encounter less physical stress and tension at their workplaces.
Proper decision-making is another benefit of receiving education. People with education manage to achieve positive social and biological changes since education provides more opportunities for solving life problems, better employment, and better social status. Hummer and Hernandez (2013) note that they have better access to information and are more enthusiastic about learning scientific innovations and following medical recommendations. Such persons are more likely to understand information quicker, appreciate new tendencies, and change their behaviors as they strive to support their health and continue enjoying their lives by practicing active leisure and effective relationships with other people.
However, one should also pinpoint some disadvantages associated with education and health outcomes. For instance, people with higher education are more prone to sedentary lifestyles, which may cause problems with heart and the decreased immune system. Another negative issue related to education in terms of health outcomes is alcohol abuse that may be caused by workplace stress and mental tension, occurring due to the prevalence of mental activity over physical one. The above imbalance may be a serious threat to one’s health.
Academic Achievement and Health Issues
An educational status in the US is used as the key indicator of the position of people in the hierarchy of socio-economic inequality, while an economic status, in turn, is seen as a sign of the return on investment in cultural capital. In addition, education can be considered an indicator of an increased ability of a person to take and process information and make decisions, which allows intelligently, competently, and carefully approach the preservation and maintenance of one’s health (Zimmerman, Woolf, & Haley, 2015). The impact of educational inequality on the health of the new generation is contradictory: despite the fact that the indicators of physical and mental health decrease as we rise to a higher level of education, the educational resource gives us confidence in the future and the formation of basic values. At the same time, education and training can support habits, skills and values that are essential for social interaction and participation. Highly developed institutions, skilled labor, domicile, development of norms and links that promote social co-operation predetermine a high level of investment in one’s own health.
Human capital theory regards education as a good option for investment in personal development as it improves the chances to enter the labor market, get promotion, receive adequate pay, and also retain a job. It also decreases the time to perform everyday tasks and enhances the process of making significant decisions, having an encouraging impact on one’s health (Williams et al., 2015). The link between education and health promotes their mutual strengthening. They are closely interrelated in their aspirations to pull people out of poverty and give them the opportunity to fully realize their inner potential. The apparent connection between psychological health and education of respondents was manifested in the following: the higher the level of education, the more confident young people are in success of their future life. Only one in five students of the university has concerns regarding his or her future, among the students of technical schools – every third. One can state that educational inequality is closely connected with the unequal sense of oneself in society, a higher level of professional education gives greater confidence in their life resources. The formation of basic values, the inner spiritual core is more inherent in students of higher educational institutions.
Health Equity
The low socioeconomic situation affects health directly through deprivation and subjective perception by people of their unequal position in society and related assessments, attitudes, and experiences. The fact is that people with higher education consider the main role of the state, first of all, in providing citizens with the opportunity to choose the desired lifestyle, and, perhaps, encouraging those who make rational decisions that contribute to strengthening their health (Hahn & Truman, 2015). This approach contrasts sharply with the position taken by people with lower social status. As noted, people with lower social status often assume that they have less control over many from the aspects of their everyday life, and, consequently, do not bear any responsibility for them (Williams et al., 2015). Moreover, many of these people also believe that their health has already been adversely affected by these aspects of life (Hahn & Truman, 2015). Some people say that their health has suffered as a result of low earnings, and one in three believes that the quality and variety of food and / or inadequate housing conditions are not enough for this.
Considering the situation with education and health from the different angle, one should note that there are significant economic costs. As outlined by Hahn and Truman (2015), “for a population of 138 million aged 25 years or older with less than a college education, the economic value of the life and health forgone is US$1.02 trillion per year – 7.7 percent of US gross domestic product” (p. 662). Paying attention to the fact that students graduated from the University have employment with higher remuneration and the subsequently reduced costs on health care, the government’s advantage is important that also impacts the populations in terms of Medicaid and other health care programs. As for the population with the high-income, they have the opportunity to purchase dietary products and make travel trips for health enhancement. Bauer (2014) emphasizes that such people are likely to have a coherent view on utilizing the possibilities of the health care system compared to those with low education or those having no education. In general, the problem of health inequality is associated not only with the availability of effective drugs, consultations, or a healthy lifestyle but also with employment opportunities and income criteria.
Solutions to the Identified Problem
In the view of the mentioned points, it seems essential to point out specific goals to be achieved as a result of new initiatives. First of all, the key goal is to boost the productivity of education and that of scientific development in order to provide social protection of the population and public health action. More to the point, it is crucial to make sure that educational institutions have proper conditions for improving health attitudes of their students (Kulhánová et al., 2014). It is possible to recommend introducing the consideration of policies, which would stimulate people with low education or those having no education to attend special courses or strive to have higher education (Embrett & Randall, 2014). It is also critical to arrange focused training to assist people in comprehending the advantages of education associated with health. This issue requires appropriate propaganda by experts, so that there is a specific time when people could listen to them.
Public health action is needed to increase awareness of population in the US. For example, the US Department of Health and Human Services may stimulate the local policymakers to strengthen policies and introduce new ones that would take into account the existing realities and the current evidence in the given field. Embrett and Randall (2014) state that job enrichment plans opportunity may be used by employers for their employees to encourage them by means of providing the opportunity to receive higher education for free or with less payment. Job enrichment is also advantageous for companies since education is associated with greater workplace productivity of employees. In general, the associations between education and population health should be improved, thus engaging more people in government programs and increasing awareness of their own health.
It seems appropriate to consider the intersectionality theory suggested by Bauer (2014) as a means of conducting quantitative research based on analysis, activism, and policy development, thus addressing different types of inequality simultaneously and contributing to understanding how various combinations of identities affect access to rights and opportunities. The above theory explains what a critical role it plays in the struggle for human rights and development and suggests approaches that health and education advocates can use. Even though the global economic integration over the past few decades has resulted in rapid enrichment for some, others do not belong to the representatives of privileged elite (Bauer, 2014). Complicated by colonial history and modern fundamentalism, new technologies and modern forms of discrimination, policies and processes of neo-liberal globalization encourage racism, intolerance and inequality in education and, consequently, in health. Therefore, the use of the above theory is likely to benefit in revealing the ways to address the problem of health inequality.
Conclusion
To conclude, it should be emphasized that the link between education and population health in the US is evident as there are various diseases that are more intrinsic to people with low education or a complete lack of thereof. In particular, stress, hypertension, obesity, asthma, etc. are the key characteristic diseases developing in the mentioned population. Various scholarly articles show the evidence of positive correlations between the educational level and health outcomes, while discussing such benefits as greater awareness along with better lifestyles, living conditions, and access to health care services. Inequality associated with education affects health equity as well. It was discovered that people with higher incomes tend to have better education and vice versa. Based on the existing body of the research, it was recommended to apply the intersectionality theory and create a comprehensive plan for enhancing the described problem. Further research should pay attention to the population’s awareness, the policymaking process, public health action, and job enrichment plans.
References
Bauer, G. R. (2014). Incorporating intersectionality theory into population health research methodology: Challenges and the potential to advance health equity. Social Science & Medicine, 110(1), 10-17.
Clark, N. M., Gong, M., & Kaciroti, N. (2014). A model of self-regulation for control of chronic disease. Health Education & Behavior, 41(5), 499-508.
Constitution of WHO: Principles. (n.d.). Web.
Embrett, M. G., & Randall, G. E. (2014). Social determinants of health and health equity policy research: Exploring the use, misuse, and nonuse of policy analysis theory. Social Science & Medicine, 108(1), 147-155.
Hahn, R. A., & Truman, B. I. (2015). Education improves public health and promotes health equity. International Journal of Health Services, 45(4), 657-678.
Hummer, R. A., & Hernandez, E. M. (2013). The effect of educational attainment on adult mortality in the United States. Population Bulletin, 68(1), 1-20.
Kulhánová, I., Hoffmann, R., Judge, K., Looman, C. W., Eikemo, T. A., Bopp, M.,… Wojtyniak, B. (2014). Assessing the potential impact of increased participation in higher education on mortality: Evidence from 21 European populations. Social Science & Medicine, 117(1), 142-149.
Williams, D. R., Priest, N., & Anderson, N. B. (2016). Understanding associations among race, socioeconomic status, and health: Patterns and prospects. Health Psychology, 35(4), 407-415.
Zimmerman, E. B., Woolf, S. H., & Haley, A. (2015). Understanding the relationship between education and health: A review of the evidence and an examination of community perspectives. Web.