How Education Access Shapes Health Outcomes

Mr. Jones is a patient that had congestive heart failure and other chronic health problems.

His lack of health literacy made him reluctant to follow doctor’s orders, which resulted in having frequent emergency room visits. Dr. Morgan S. Hardy, a psychiatrist, went to Jones’ home to figure out what caused these frequent ER visits. Hardy observed that Jones was not taking his medications, but also recognized that having enough money to eat was far more important to him. Morgan also recognized that placing a strict low-sodium diet was not feasible considering that Jones primarily got food from the gas station that is closest to him. Morgan eventually stopped seeing this patient attend his appointments.

Jones’s situation is an example of how disparities such as low socioeconomic status, inadequate health literacy, and living in an area with potential food deserts contribute to health problems. I will be focusing on the education access and quality aspect of the social determinants of health that play a role in health outcomes, while also evaluating how education access impacts other social determinants of health.

Fundamental Cause Theory, an education-health research group, argued that the fundamental causes of health issues are because education is a gateway to resources such as higher SES, healthier lifestyle habits, and better healthcare literacy. Research about the connection between education and health has found that less educated adults are more prone to engaging in risky behaviors, stress, higher rates of chronic conditions, and difficulties finding a stable job. These research findings on the connection between health and education imply that those who lack quality or access to education are at higher risk of difficulty obtaining resources that contribute to good health. 

Having good healthcare literacy requires a stable foundation of skills such as reading and math. Poor education access can lead to difficulties understanding healthcare literacy. Healthcare literacy is important when making medical decisions, understanding treatment plans, and understanding how healthcare insurance works. Those with low healthcare literacy are more likely to experience chronic illness, possibly resulting from reluctance to take prevention strategies. Healthcare literacy is an important skill to have in order to maximize one’s quality of health by ensuring that individuals receive all of the healthcare resources needed.

Low SES can be a result of having minimal access to quality education, while having poor education can contribute to low SES, which contributes to a cycle of disadvantaged populations lacking two essential factors that promote positive health outcomes. It is reported that children of low educated parents are less likely to complete higher education compared to those of parents with college degrees. Poor education can limit the opportunities of finding a  stable job, good healthcare literacy, and higher one’s likelihood of engaging in risky behaviors. 

Jobs in the United States that provide economic stability are harder to get when someone’s education level does not meet the qualifications of the job. This leaves those who lack quality education access to limited jobs in the market. Jobs that are not as stable, limited healthcare benefits, and closer to minimum wage may be easier to qualify for.

A color blind policy that continues to influence limited access to education is the Zero Tolerance Discipline Policy (ZTP) implemented in schools. This policy was created to ensure safety in schools to promote positive learning environments, however there is minimal research that supports the policy’s effectiveness . The ZTP in schools involves addressing disruptive behaviors with expulsion, suspension, or in school suspension. However, research has found that these disciplinary actions do not reduce the likelihood of targeted behavior, but can increase it . It has been found that ZTP have been used to disproportionately target students of color, specifically black youth. 

Disciplining students by suspension or expulsion limits their access to education, increasing their risk for not succeeding in school. A resolution to address youth of color disproportionately being removed from schools in an attempt to lower the frequency of behaviors would be to re-evaluate disciplinary actions and school handbook policies. This involves identifying school rules that have disciplinary actions if not met and identifying punitive bias. The lack of accessible quality education contributes to higher the risk of poor healthcare literacy, low SES, and poor healthcare outcomes. There are policies that are still implemented today, like the ZTP, which continues to disproportionately target youth of color leading to them missing educational opportunities. This can be addressed by evaluating the ZTP disciplinary actions and coming up with more effective ways to address target behaviors. This can also be addressed by re-evaluating potential bias in student handbook disciplinary codes.