8.5: Educational Access and Quality
On the whole, higher levels of education are linked with better paying jobs and better health over the lifespan. Graduating from college decreases the risk of future unemployment (and thus many of the health factors that come with economic instability), and college graduates report better health than those who only complete high school. College education is more often required for white-collar jobs, which tend to pay better wages and are more likely to provide health insurance benefits. This also means college graduates may be able to afford better quality housing, and have more access to healthy dietary patterns and leisure-time physical activity. Unhealthy behaviors like smoking and drinking excessively are lower in more educated populations ( Enrollment in Higher Education - Healthy People 2030 , n.d.).
Education levels of parents are also correlated with the health of the rest of the family. Childhood obesity is negatively correlated with the education level of the head of the household (HHS reports). If parents have higher education, children are less likely to experience adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). These types of experiences can include trauma from physical or sexual abuse, neglect, witnessing a family member use drugs or have mental health problems - including attempting or committing suicide - or having a family member become incarcerated. They can also include witnessing violence in the home or community, becoming homeless, or experiencing stress from housing and food insecurity (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Office of Health Equity., 2020).
As mentioned earlier, racial disparities in health and life expectancy persist across educational strata. However, one increasingly common cause of death primarily affects white, non-college educated, middle-aged men, who live in mostly rural areas and small towns. Correlated with the decline in blue-collar job opportunities in middle America, so-called “deaths of despair” have increased over the last decade. These include deaths from suicide, drug (mostly opioid) overdoses, and liver disease, all associated with physical and psychological pain (Scutchfield & Keck, 2017). This is a tragic example of a combination of social determinants of health converging: unemployment, poverty, and a lack of access to healthcare (mental health care in particular), all contributing to higher rates of depression and substance abuse.