The Relationship Between Education and Health: Reducing Disparities Through a Contextual Approach

Adults with higher educational attainment live healthier and longer lives compared with their less educated peers. The disparities are large and widening. We posit that understanding the educational and macrolevel contexts in which this association occurs is key to reducing health disparities and im...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annual review of public health Vol. 39; p. 273
Main Authors: Zajacova, Anna, Lawrence, Elizabeth M
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States 01.04.2018
Subjects:
Educational Status
Health Status Disparities
Humans
Politics
Soil
United States
United States
health
education
US adults
social context
causality
policy
ISSN:1545-2093, 1545-2093
Online Access:Get more information
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Summary:Adults with higher educational attainment live healthier and longer lives compared with their less educated peers. The disparities are large and widening. We posit that understanding the educational and macrolevel contexts in which this association occurs is key to reducing health disparities and improving population health. In this article, we briefly review and critically assess the current state of research on the relationship between education and health in the United States. We then outline three directions for further research: We extend the conceptualization of education beyond attainment and demonstrate the centrality of the schooling process to health; we highlight the dual role of education as a driver of opportunity but also as a reproducer of inequality; and we explain the central role of specific historical sociopolitical contexts in which the education-health association is embedded. Findings from this research agenda can inform policies and effective interventions to reduce health disparities and improve health for all Americans.
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ISSN:1545-2093
1545-2093
DOI:10.1146/annurev-publhealth-031816-044628