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Today, in the contemporary United States, there are many different influencers to a person’s health, such as poverty and/or unemployment. However, education is the most important influence on health because without a good, thorough education, people are less likely to have access to health care, be able to afford health care and they are more likely to live shorter lives. A lack of education makes poverty and unemployment more likely, which obviously have a negative effect on a person’s health. In the documentary The Waiting Room, directed by Peter Nicks, a story is told about Highland Hospital’s emergency waiting room and how there are too many patients for the staff to handle. The majority of these patients are poor, jobless and have little or no education, so they only come and wait in the emergency room because they cannot afford a regular doctor to go to when they are sick, need treatment or need a refill for a prescription. This shows just how much education does to create access to better health for people. The higher education a person has, the more likely they are to be employed and have adequate health insurance, for themselves and for their families. “Social class opens and closes doors to medical care. People …show more content…
“Researchers have found a surprising effect of education: On average, the farther that people go in school, the longer they live. On average, compared with high school drop-outs, those who complete college live at least ten years longer (Kaplan et al. 2014). The most likely reasons for the longer life are that the more educated have healthier lifestyles (better diets, less smoking), better jobs, higher pay, and superior medical services” (Henslin, 2017, p. 505). This excerpt from Henslin’s textbook shows how crucial education can be to a person’s life: without it, they tend to be much unhealthier. This proves how important an influence education is on
When we consider the education of our children in the United States, we must consider their health as a significant issue as it can positively or negatively impact a student’s education. It has generally been acknowledged that there is a great disparity in our country in the area of health care. Healthy People2010, a published report put out by the Health and Human Services Division of the Unites States Government (2000) has included as part of its Goals for 2010, to eliminate health disparities among different segments of the population. According to this report, health differences occur depending on a persons gender, race or ethnicity, education or income, disability, rural locality, or sexual orientation. In this paper, I will mostly concentrate on racial and ethnic differences as well as socioeconomic differences. According to the Healthy People 2010 report, biological and genetic differences do not explain the health disparities experienced by non-White populations in the United States. Besides "complex interaction among genetic variations, environmental factors, and specific health behaviors," Health and Human Services says, "inequalities in income and education underlie many health disparities in the United States." Also, "population groups that suffer the worst health status are also those that have the highest poverty rates and least education." Health, United States (1998) reported that each increase of income or education increased the likelihood of being in good health. According to this report, those with less education tend to die younger than those with more education for all major causes of death including chronic diseases, communicable diseases and injuries. There are several factors that account for differences between socioeconomic and racial and ethnic groups. These factors include a lower sedentary life style, cigarette smoking and less likely to have health insurance coverage or receive preventive care among these groups.
Education can help Americans receive a well paying job and lead to less low income families. A quality education allows people to feel accomplished and empowered to get a job that could help their family and their financial needs. According to an article by the Global Partnership, education reduces economic inequality and “If each [employee] from poor and rich backgrounds receive the same education, the disparity between poverty would decrease by 39 percent” (“5 Ways Education Can Help End Extreme Poverty”). In an article by William Bennett, states that American companies estimate that currently there are 3 million jobs available. The downside is that the children are poor and lack the education to fulfill those jobs. The government needs to provide more affordable schooling so that young adults can obtain a higher education to earn a higher salary. Currently, The U.S. Census Bureau reported that in 2014 the poverty rate of people twenty-five and older was 12 percent. Figure 1 demonstrates the statistic provided by the U.S. Census Bureau. It clearly displays that Americans who obtain more years of schooling and further their education, display a lower poverty rate. In 2014, those who have obtained no high school diploma show a greater poverty rate in relation to those who do have a bachelor degree. For example, Americans who have no high school diploma have the highest poverty rate at 29 percent. In contrast, Americans who have Bachelor’s degrees or higher, have the lowest poverty rate at 5 percent (“How does level of Education Relate to
People who complete a college education become aware of some life needs, for example useful entertainment, which can improve their lifestyle by relaxing their minds. These individuals in most cases have health insurance, through their employers, which makes their lives healthier than those of high school graduates who might not even have any knowledge of insurance. Procon.org shows that, “70% of college graduates had access to employer-provided health insurance compared to 50% of high school graduates in 2008. 70% of college graduates 25 years old and older had access to retirement plans in 2008 compared to 65% of associate 's degree holders, 55% of high school graduates, and 30% of people who did not complete high school. The 2008 poverty rate for bachelor 's degree holders was 4%, compared to a 12% poverty rate for high school graduates” (Is a College Education worth it?). Most people in the world wish to live a better life. No one wants to associate with poverty, that’s the major reason why a college education is essential when it comes to quality of
Being in good health is not only healthy for you, it is important because it can help you with your confidence and you can receive more energy in the day. As kids we all think school is boring and we would rather be hanging out with our friends then sitting in class and listening to the teacher, but the fact is the higher education level you acquire can be directly related to your health. The education you receive can also improve help you because it will increase your knowledge and you will have a better understanding on how to take care of yourself, what I mean by this is becoming aware of your symptoms earlier and deciding if it’s something minor like a small cold, or something major like the flu. There is also a link between your gender and you knowledge on health. The studied had shown that education had a higher impact on females then males. “To entertain the possibility that the impact of schooling on health knowledge differs between males and females, we re-estimated the models by adding an interaction variable between attendance and a dichotomous variable to indicate if the person is female. The results, presented in Altindag et al. (2010), demonstrate that the impact of schooling is greater for females, and in some of the alcohol-related questions, such as alcohol-addiction and alcohol-liver damage, education has an impact on the health knowledge for females but not for males” (Cannonier, C, Altindag, D. 2011).
Health and wellness can be affected by many factors. The lack of sufficient health care needs to be addressed; to give Americans, rich or poor, a chance of a healthier lifestyle. The definition of health may never be universally accepted, but every culture deserves equal opportunity to better healthcare. Environments will always have an affect on health, but with proper education, people can be taught more effective ways to live in an environment that can’t sustain a healthy lifestyle. As Americans, it is our responsibility to protect our own, and we should begin with our health care system.
Graham (2004) & Taylor (1996), posits that social determinants of health came out of a search for a certain mechanism that allowed people from unique socioeconomic backgrounds to experience varying degrees of health and illness (as cited by Raphael, 2010). This idea takes into consideration that one’s socioeconomic status affect one’s health and pervasiveness of diseases at varying levels. McMullin & Davies (2010), observes, people who have more money, with higher education, and have better jobs tend to live longer and do not get as sick as do those with lower incomes, lower education, and bad jobs Hence, the relationship between social inequality, social determinants of health and poor health outcomes. However, in addition to socioeconomic status, some other social determinants of health include: “social support networks, education, employment and working conditions, physical and social environments, biology and genetic endowment, personal health practices and coping skills, healthy child development, gender, culture, and health services”, (p. 147). They are circumstances in which people usually have no control; they are born in, grow with, live, work, and age with some of these
Education is a major factor for the development of an individual and can have a large impact on a person’s health. Education and health are closely linked and can either change a person’s life for the better or worse due to the lack of education or having a sufficient education.
Winkleby, Marilyn M., Darius E. Jatulis, Erica Frank, and Stephen P. Fortmann. "Socioeconomic Status and Health: How Education, Income, and Occupation Contribute to Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Disease." American Journal of Public Health 82.6 (1992): 816-20. Web. 6 Feb. 2012. .
Americans assume that health care is the key to good health, however there is little evidence for this belief. There is always something beyond medical care. Much evidence reflects that the way in which people live, learn, work, and play has a greater impact on one’s health. There are also many factors referred to as ‘social determinants of health’ that affect Americans ' health in homes, work environments, and communities. These social determinants serve as barriers standing in the way to better health.
People with more education have better physical and mental health; also education helps improve the overall quality of people’s lives. By helping people get better jobs, it reduces financial worries. It builds self-esteem, feeling of being in control; it also makes them critically aware of media messages about health. It contributes to health behaviors, such as moderate drinking, anti-smoking, according to the Institute of education at the University of London (Dec. 2004). As stated earlier, education reduces inequalities, creates intolerance, build social cohesion and boost the health of whole communities.
Health is a vital component in our everyday life. If it is compromised, everything else goes down with it. Health affects an individual drastically; therefore, it is imperative that we take good care of our bodies in order to maintain normal body functions that can help us go through our normal day-to-day lives without fail. There are many factors that can affect health--one of them is Education. Health education feeds emotions that will motivate us to do a better job at being caretakers of ourselves. It can therefore, be said that health education can encourage people to act on their own personal health.
Education is one of the greatest determinants. Relatively simply, the more schooling people have the better their health is likely to be. Though closely linked to income and occupation, the evidence indicates education exerts the strongest influence on health. This has been demonstrated in multiple facets over the past forty years. For instance, further formal education displays a frequent correlation with lower death rates; less education the opposite. In addition, studies show higher levels of risky health behaviors such as smoking and obesity, to be associated with less schooling (Freudenberg & Ruglis, 2007). As such, finishing secondary school has become a useful measure of educational attainment due to its influence on health.
Health is a vital component in our everyday life. If it is compromised, everything else goes down with it. Health affects an individual drastically; therefore, it is imperative that we take good care of our bodies in order to maintain normal body functions that can help us go through our normal day-to-day lives without fail. There are many factors that can affect health--one of them is Education. Health education feeds emotions that will motivate us to do a better job at being caretakers of ourselves. It can therefore, be said that health education can encourage people to act on their own personal health.
The Benefits of Higher Education states it perfectly, “After spending many years learning, people tend to feel happier and more content as they lead educated lives…Consequently, education promotes fulfilling, fuller lifestyles” (¶ 6). The types of jobs a person will be able to acquire after a college education allow more freedom and security, as well as an improved intellect. The naysayers believe that people do not need a four-year degree to acquire a job, but how many good jobs with comprehensive financial benefits do not require a four-year degree? What quality jobs are in store for an individual when they are nineteen or twenty years old with no working experience? Those kinds of jobs tend to have lower salaries with longer work hours. Higher education not only gives students more opportunities but the skills and understanding that allow them to dig deeper into more difficult situations. “After a trip through the world of higher education, you will hopefully be the person who communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems. You will know to ask questions” (Carter ¶ 14). Receiving a higher education will help anyone narrow down their options and help them succeed with life’s constant challenges. Greater numbers
Education plays a vital role in shaping tomorrows’ leaders. Not only can we become a better nation by acquiring the skills necessary to be productive members of a civilized society. Increase knowledge to actively achieve and meet challenges that can produce changes in which are productive for attaining business innovations, political and economic objectives.