Ben Kazie MD

It seems hardly surprising that lower educational levels lead to poorer overall health.  However, this report focuses on reports of perception of health by study subjects. Objective evidence is at best antidotal.  Still, it makes perfect sense that individuals with less educational attainment, less interest in learning, less interest in continued educational pursuits would be less aware of health related issues.  Education is essential in relation to diet, exercise, personal hygiene, sexual behaviors, substance abuse and the basic need to interact with the health system for prevention.  There is also a need to educate at the earliest levels about personal responsibility for health. The health care system in the United States has been attacked from all sides, but precious little has been thrown back at the population and the need for them to exert personal responsibility. Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, obesity, sedentary lifestyles, refusal to vaccinate or obtain basic health screenings as needed are personal failures, not failures of the health system.  So the solution remains to be found, but it is clearly not based on a federal control of the health system . . . ben kazie md

Report indicates American adults with the least education have the worst health

A report from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ranks the states according to their residents’ health and education, showing the percentage of each state’s most educated residents in less than very good health.

The report showed that American adults with the least education have the worst health. The finding adds to the commission’s growing body of evidence that factors outside of the medical system play an important role in determining how healthy people are and even how long they will live. The commission found that overall, 45% of US adults reported being in less than very good health. Data also indicated that racial and ethnic minorities were more likely than whites to report being in less than very good health, although education-related differences in health were seen within every racial or ethnic group.

The education-related health gap didn’t just show up when the commission compared people with the fewest and most years of schooling. In fact, high-school graduates were nearly twice as likely as college graduates to report being in less than very good health. Poor education can lead to limited job options, lower incomes, and greater work-related stress, which in turn can lead to illness.

New State-by-State Report Shows Gaps in Health Strongly Linked to Education Levels - http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=42418

Less Education May Mean Poorer Health – http://www.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=626813

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