Jake Johnson 10/15/15
Health Economics Writing Assignment 1
The Impact of Education on Health Throughout the years there has been well-documented research about the strong, positive correlation between education and health. However there is little evidence that suggests the extent to how education has such a casual impact on health. In this paper I will discuss the relationship between education and mortality rates across the world. Regardless of the measure of your socioeconomic status, such as income and race, or the measure of health, morbidity rates and self-reported health status, there is a strong and significant correlation between education and health (Clark & Royer, 2013). Given the effects of education measured at large scale, investments in education may prove to be a cost-effective means of achieving better health (Clark & Royer, 2013). “If the effects of education are large enough, then education policies might be powerful tools for improving health, especially in comparison to additional health care spending, the returns to which are uncertain” (Clark & Royer 2010). There are three mechanisms through which education may affect health and mortality. First, a higher level of educational attainment helps individuals acquire better and more stable employment, increasing their earnings power. Second, a higher level of education helps individuals build psychosocial resources, such as heightened sense of personal control, more supportive social relationships and active participation in cognitive stimulating activities, all which improve health stock. Third, more educated people are more likely to adopt positive health behaviors, such as exercising regularly, drinking moderately, and avoiding or quitting smoking, which in turn lead to better health and lower mortality (Liu, Hermalin, & Chuang, 1998).