Education - The Essential Link For A Healthy Lifestyle
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Education matters a lot to health. It can lead to more accurate health beliefs and knowledge, and thus to better lifestyle choices and greater self-advocacy. Globally, people with more education live longer, healthier lives. The links between education and health are complex—and tied closely to income and to the skills and opportunities that people must have to lead healthy lives in their communities.[1]
The relationship between education and health has existed for generations and has grown dramatically in the last few decades. Now more than ever, the probability of having major chronic conditions has increased more among the least educated. Chronic exposure of infants and toddlers to stressors called “adverse childhood experiences”—can affect brain development and disturb the child’s endocrine and immune systems, causing biological changes that increase the risk of heart disease and other conditions later in life. Children exposed to stress may also be drawn to unhealthy behaviors—such as smoking or unhealthy eating—during adolescence, the age when adult habits are often first established. Race, gender, age, disability and other personal characteristics often affect educational opportunities and success in school.[1]
Benefits of Education On Health[2]
Better jobs: With more education more likely to be employed in less-risk occupations with health-promoting benefits viz health insurance, paid leave, and retirement.
Higher earnings: Good education and good paying job can relieve a lot of mental stress.
Reduced stress: More education and thus higher incomes keep people spared from health-harming stresses. More social support, sense of control over life, and high self-esteem which buffer the effects of stress.
Social networks Educ
ated adults tend to have larger social networks bringing access to financial, psychological, and emotional resources helping reduce hardship and stress thus improving health.
Social and psychological skills:
Education in school and other learning opportunities outside the classroom build skills and foster traits that are important throughout life and may be important to health, such as conscientiousness, perseverance, a sense of personal control, flexibility, the capacity for negotiation, and the ability to form relationships.
Knowledge and skills: Educated patients learn about healthy behaviors, health needs, follow instructions, advocate for themselves and their families, and communicate effectively with health providers.
Good neighborhoods
Advantages:
· Sufficient green space, such as sidewalks and parks to encourage outdoor physical activity and walking or cycling to work or school.
· Less populated with educated people with health care providers and facilities.
· Less crime rates, exposure to greater risk of trauma and deaths from violence and the stress.
· High-quality schools, with quality faculty and properly maintained buildings and supplies.
· Less air and water pollution, hazardous waste, pesticides, and industrial chemicals and levels of toxins
· More effective political influence to advocate for community needs, resulting in a persistent cycle of advantages.
Highly Educated People-Stay Healthy & Happy
Education and health do appear to go hand in hand but genetic and environmental factors also come into play.[3]
1.They’re likely to live longer: Higher levels of educational attainment correlate with decreased mortality rates across all age, gender and racial subgroups. In particular, deaths related to social and behavioral risk factors possess an undeniable link to education level. These deaths are in reference to preventable causes of death, such as lung cancer, respiratory diseases, homicide and accidents.
2. Less experience of economic or occupational stress: Long-term stress can negatively impact both physical and psychological health. Adults who have obtained higher levels of education have less exposure to stressors related to economic hardship.
3. Less likely to smoke: An increased likelihood of being a smoker is one of the risky behaviors associated with lower levels of educational attainment. The smoking have negative impacts on physical health: the WHO estimates that more than 8 million people die prematurely yearly from tobacco use. Smoking causes more fatalities each year than HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries and firearm-related incidents combined.
4. Less likely to experience common illnesses: Higher levels of education are associated with less chances of unemployment which is a major cause of structural inequalities, leading to financial insecurity, loneliness, and lower social support, and workers with mental illness often face workplace discrimination and stigma. Well educated people also have decreased prevalence of illnesses like heart conditions, hypertension, high cholesterol, emphysema, diabetes, asthma and ulcers.
5. Fewer cases of mental health struggles: Less education, a recent income decrease and poor housing are the socioeconomic status variables that are significantly associated with mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.
6. Eat better and maintain regular exercise habits: Things like exercising regularly and maintaining a well-balanced diet appear to be related to higher levels of education. due to access to more resources including ability to purchase healthy foods and to afford the time and expenses, regular exercise requires. Intake of nutrients like vitamins A and C, potassium and calcium—as well as overall diet quality—are associated with education.
7. Likely to have health insurance: Education certainly makes healthier choices, and access to healthcare services. Adults with health insurance use more physician services and experience more positive health outcomes than uninsured (or inconsistently insured) adults.
Role Of Social Media On Education And Health
Globally out of various technological advancement accessed regularly, social media is at the top, which is used by approximately 2.82 billion people worldwide. Social media is defined as activities, practices, and behaviors among communities of users who gather online to share information, knowledge, and opinions using conversational media. There are tens of thousands of health-promotion-related social media websites that are currently available to the public. The role of social media in public health education has been increasing due to its ability to remove physical barriers that traditionally impede access to healthcare support and resources. Health promotion has become more deeply rooted in Internet-based programming. The health education specialists are becoming more competent in computer-mediated contexts that optimize both online and offline consumer health experiences. Social media may be used as a health promotion tool by applying principles of health education and health communication that examine; the method with which social media users access, negotiate, and create health information that is both actionable and impactful for diverse audiences; strategies for overcoming challenges to using social media in health promotion; and best practices for designing, implementing, and evaluating social media fora in public health. Advances in technology are central to this evolution, as adoption of mobile devices connected to the Internet continues to grow across sociodemographic groups and geographic regions.
In health promotion, social media is commonly accessed for networking and community building purpose. Patients, clinicians and social media all play unique roles in health promotion, with secure data management to facilitate more personalized medicine and more equitable public health policies. Today, it is difficult to imagine public health without social media. As of now, social media shows much promise in promoting health equity among disadvantaged populations (e.g., low income, rural, and older adults). To optimize its potential to improve public health, there is a need to effectively leverage social media tools to create scalable, culturally adapted health promotion programs and campaigns. Consistently, health education specialists can avail social media opportunities for consumers to exchange strategic health messages on popular platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest, through various modalities (e.g., text, image, video, and gif).[4]
Challenges To Health Education In Developing Countries
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People particularly children living in poverty, face many barriers to accessing an education: like no school to go to; the untrained teacher at school to help children learn effectively and above all the resources. The other factors are: language barriers, gender roles, and reliance on child labor which can stall progress to provide quality education. The most vulnerable segments in disadvantaged communities likely to miss out schooling include young girls and children with disabilities.[5]
To achieve WHO MDG # 4: “Quality Education by 2030”, world needs to take action on following few challenges:
1.Lack of funding for education: Developing countries can’t rely solely on their own financing for education — there’s also a need for more foreign aid. There is currently a $39 billion gap to providing quality education to all children by 2030. Developing countries have to contribute minimum 20% of their national budget to education, and allocate 45% of it to primary education.
2. Lack of teachers /trained teachers & teaching material: There aren't enough teachers/trained teachers to achieve universal primary or secondary education. The teaching materials to help prepare lessons, share with their students, and guide their lessons is not available.
3. Poor School Infrastructure /No classrooms: Children in many developing countries are often squeezed into overcrowded poorly maintained classrooms, or are learning outside. They also lack textbooks, school supplies, and other educational tools.
4. Lack of learning materials: outdated and worn-out textbooks often shared by many students. Workbooks, exercise sheets, readers, and other core materials are also in short supply.
5. The exclusion of children with disabilities: students with disabilities have lower attendance rates and are more likely to face discrimination. Lack of accessible schools also deny their right to education.
6. Gender Discrimination: Despite recent advances in girls’ education, still one of the biggest reasons why children are denied an education.
7. Conflict or at risk of conflict: Children exposed to violence are more at risk of under-achieving and dropping out of school.
8. Accessibility: Long distance schools are just too much for many children, particularly with a disability, malnourished or sick, or those who are required to work around the household.
9. Hunger and poor nutrition: Being severely malnourished, to the point it impacts on brain development, impedes schooling.
10. Financial burden: For many of the poorest families, school remains too expensive. In many countries education is theoretically free but expanses of “compulsory items” like uniforms, books, pens, extra lessons, exam fees, or funds to support the school buildings goes out of pocket. In case no government-supported schools, parents have no choice except expensive private schools.
Way Forward
Improvement Of Education Curriculum – Healthy School Concept
School communities are increasingly becoming places where healthy habits can flourish. The responsibility for teaching children’s healthy habits does not fall only on teachers . A healthy school community involves all partners and sends children the same message in the home, school, and community. Children who attend a healthy school can make informed, healthy decisions that affect their own lives and the lives of their families.[6]
It doesn’t take a lot to create a healthier school. Some changes could include:
· Incorporating healthy eating and physical activity across the curriculum in fun and creative ways
· Creating partnerships with the broader community, for example local food growers, sporting clubs, library etc.
· Providing professional development opportunities for teachers and other support staff to teach and promote healthy eating and being active.
Healthy Eating
Schools can encourage good nutritional habits by:
· Developing a whole school food policy
· Offering healthy foods in school canteens
· Providing clean, cool water facilities
· Developing a school vegetable garden
· Offering regular snack breaks for students to eat fruit and vegetables
· Assessing the food provided at the school canteen and vending machines
· Providing parents with information on healthy food choices and active living
· Allowing students to bring their water bottles into the classroom with them
· Involving pupils and parents in guiding food policy and practice within the school, and enabling them to contribute to healthy eating, and acting on their feedback
· Providing a welcoming eating environment that encourages positive social interaction.
Physical Activity
Ways in which schools can help students to become more active, include:
· Scheduling more physical education and physical activity
· Ensuring that adequate time is spent on developing fundamental motor skills.
· Involving students in decisions about the school environment
· Providing secure bike racks or storage to encourage students and staff to ride to work
· Providing parents/carers with the opportunity to be involved in the planning and delivery of physical activity opportunities
· Developing a whole school physical activity policy, which encourages all staff and students to be physically active, then implement, monitor and evaluate it for impact
· Providing a school environment that encourages being active, for example adequate playground facilities, access to equipment, walking paths etc.
· Including students when deciding the type of physical activity to be undertaken, making them more committed to participation
Be A Role Model
Positive modelling by school staff is important to support healthy eating and physical activity policies and actions. It helps to show leadership and commitment that others, such as students and parents, can be inspired by.
Schools and teachers can model healthy eating and being active at school by:
· Walking rapidly during duty times
· Taking activity breaks during classes
· Packing a healthy lunch and taking the time to eat it
· Providing healthy snacks at school and staff functions (staff meetings, parent-teacher interviews, etc.)
· Using non-food rewards (pencils, skipping ropes) instead of lollies and sweets
· Joining in the activities during physical education classes, recess or lunchtime
· Supporting physical activity opportunities during and after school
· Sharing one’s physical activity interests with students
· Using public transport for school excursions as it is often cheaper and you can get in your physical activity for the day
From including exercise programs and healthy practices to offering nutritious meals, schools’ curriculum must follow a bold approach to health. This holistic education model including following topics will not only enhance academic performance but also develop habits that support lifelong well-being.
· Measure and Watch one’s Weight
· Limit Unhealthy Foods and Eat Healthy Meals
· Take Multivitamin Supplements
· Drink Water and Stay Hydrated
· Limit Sugared Beverages
· Exercise Regularly and Be Physically Active
Both education and health are at the center of individual and population health and well-being. Conceptualizations of both phenomena should go beyond the individual focus to incorporate and consider the social context and structure within which the education–health relationship is embedded. As health differences are widening across the world, there is need for new directions in research and policy on health returns on education and vice versa.
References
1. Cutler D., and Lleras-Muney A. Education and Health. In: Anthony J. Culyer (ed.), Encyclopedia of Health Economics, Vol 1. San Diego: Elsevier; 2014. pp. 232-45.
2. Baum S, Ma J, Payea K. Education Pays 2013: The Benefits of Higher Education for Individuals and Society. College Board, 2013.
3. Ross CE, Wu CL. The links between education and health. Am Soc Rev 1995;60:719-45.
4. Goldman D, Smith JP. The increasing value of education to health. Soc Sci Med 2011;72:1728-37.
5. Allensworth, D., Lawson, E., Nicholson, L., & Wyche, J. (1997). Schools and health: Our nation’s investment. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/catalog/5153.html
6. Bonell, C. P., Fletcher, A., Jamal, F., Wells, H., Harden, A., Murphy, S., & Thomas, J. (2013). Theories of how the school environment impacts on student health: Systematic review and synthesis. Health & Place, 24, 242–249