Read the issue brief from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation entitled “Education Matters for Health”
2009, located in the Reading and Study folder for Module/Week 5. Discuss the following points in your
thread. Review the Discussion Board Instructions before posting your thread.
There appears to be a dose-response relationship between educational attainment and
health—the more you get, the better it is. Why this is true is not clearly understood, though
several reasonable hypotheses have been proposed. Describe the 3 interrelated pathways
presented as explanations for this relationship in this brief. Which do you feel is the strongest?
Why?
According to data presented in the brief, “the United States is the only industrialized nation
where young people currently are less likely than members of their parents’ generation to be
high-school graduates.” What evidence is given to support this statement? Why do you think
this situation exists? What will it take to correct it?
As would be expected, parents’ educational attainment is linked to their children’s health and
even their educational attainment. These linkages, in turn, influence the health and educational
attainment of their children’s children, as well, perpetuating an endless intergenerational cycle
of high (or low) educational attainment and its associated better (or poorer) health. How does
this fit with the biblical understanding of multigenerational influence (Exodus 34:6–7)? In what
ways can the Church help interrupt the vicious cycle beginning with low educational
attainment? Pray that God will use you to be a positive influence on your children in this area or
on others whom God will bring across your path.
Running head: HEALTH AND EDUCATION 1
Health and Education
Name
Institution
HEALTH AND EDUCATION 2
Health and Education
Education is the key and foundation of life. Many people know that if they have better
education, they can get better jobs with good pay. However, few people recognize the critical
role of education in improving health. Education in health means education attainment where an
individual has the relevant knowledge to solve various health problems and observe precautions
to maintain good health (Egerter et al., 2011). The paper will discuss various points based on the
course brief provided.
Discussion one
There exist three inter-relationships between educational attainment and health. The first
inter-relationship describes health knowledge and behaviors. Studies reveal that education can
improve health by increasing health knowledge and health behaviors (Egerter et al., 2011). It
means that educational attainment increases individuals’ knowledge in solving problems related
to health and making better, informed, and improved decisions based on health. More so, when
people have adequate knowledge, they have a high probability of consuming foods that promote
good health. For example, they can plan their diet to contain foods such as fruits and consume
enough water.
The second inter-relationship improves health indirectly in that better educational
attainment creates employment opportunities, which makes people have enough income. Enough
income is highly linked to better health. Alternatively, people with adequate education cannot
work in poor working conditions because they recognize their rights, which means that there is a
high probability their rights of good working conditions will be honored, and this promotes good
health (Egerter et al. 2011). Workers with better education receive work-related benefits like sick
allowances or sick leaves, which is critical in health promotion.
HEALTH AND EDUCATION 3
The third inter-relationship addresses social and physiological factors that affect health.
Education controls beliefs and perceptions that people have on health. A high education level
guarantees self-control, and it fosters attitudes and skills. More so, education influences social
networks where one with better education can offer emotional support to relieve stress. Out of
the three discussed relationships, the first one “improvement of health knowledge and behaviors”
because it directs how people live their daily lives.
Discussion two
Stats that show the US’s negative ranking, where it is the only industrialized nation with
young people less likely to graduate from high school, are true. The brief states that around 30%
of fresh high school students fail to graduate within four years (Egerter et al., 2011). The brief
highlights that nearly half of the fresh high school students in the 50 largest cities in the US fail
to graduate. This low number of high school graduates is because of low income among families
and the high cost of enrolling in education. If the US government reduces the cost of acquiring
education, the number of high school graduates will increase.
Discussion three
Parent educational attainment is two-way traffic in influencing better health among
children. First, it ensures children live a healthy life, which forms a background to living a
healthy life (Egerter et al. 2011). Second, children get similar education that can improve their
health. This thread is linked to the biblical teaching in Exodus 34:6–7 as the scriptures state the
importance of safeguarding the present to improve the future. The church can interrupt the
vicious cycle of low educational attainment by encouraging believers to read the exodus book,
where God used Moses to dedicate his life so that Israelites can reach the foreign land. It means
HEALTH AND EDUCATION 4
that if parents do not sacrifice themselves to provide good education to their children, they will
have a rough future.
In conclusion, from the three discussion threads, education heavily impacts the health
status of an individual. Low education negatively influences the health of an individual and vice
versa.
HEALTH AND EDUCATION 5
References
Egerter, S., Braveman, P., Sadegh-Nobari, Y., Grossman-Kahn, R., & Dekker, M. (2011).
Education and health. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Health and Education
Education is the key and foundation of life. Many people know that if they have
better education, they can get better jobs with good pay.
Discussion one
There exist three inter-relationships between educational attainment and health.
The second inter-relationship improves health indirectly in that better educational
attainment creates employment opportunities, which makes people have enough
income.
The third inter-relationship addresses social and physiological factors that affect
health. Education controls beliefs and perceptions that people have on health.
Discussion two
Stats that show the US’s negative ranking, where it is the only industrialized
nation with young people less likely to graduate from high school, are true.
Discussion three
Parent educational attainment is two-way traffic in influencing better health
among children.
