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. 2015;45(4):657-78.
doi: 10.1177/0020731415585986. Epub 2015 May 19.

Education Improves Public Health and Promotes Health Equity

Robert A Hahn  1 , Benedict I Truman  2
Affiliations

Education Improves Public Health and Promotes Health Equity

Robert A Hahn et al. Int J Health Serv. 2015.

Abstract

This article describes a framework and empirical evidence to support the argument that educational programs and policies are crucial public health interventions. Concepts of education and health are developed and linked, and we review a wide range of empirical studies to clarify pathways of linkage and explore implications. Basic educational expertise and skills, including fundamental knowledge, reasoning ability, emotional self-regulation, and interactional abilities, are critical components of health. Moreover, education is a fundamental social determinant of health - an upstream cause of health. Programs that close gaps in educational outcomes between low-income or racial and ethnic minority populations and higher-income or majority populations are needed to promote health equity. Public health policy makers, health practitioners and educators, and departments of health and education can collaborate to implement educational programs and policies for which systematic evidence indicates clear public health benefits.

Keywords: disparities; equity; health in all policies; social determinant.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Health-risk behaviors and school grades, United States, 2009. Source: www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/health_risk_behaviors.pdf.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Association between kindergarten test score percentiles and mean wage earnings, ages 25–27 years, Tennessee STAR program. Source: Chetty, 2010.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Age-adjusted death rates among persons ages 25–64 years for several condition groupings, by sex and educational attainment. Selected US states, 1994–2005.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Pathways from educational attainment to health outcomes.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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