The connection between educational and health equity has always existed. The most important connection that comes to the mind of most is simply being taught more about taking care of our health and leading a healthy lifestyle, summarized as health literacy skills. Greater comprehension of these skills leads to a substantial increase in health equity. In truth, there are numerous connections between education and health equity, though they may not be as apparent as they should.
For example, with greater education, we have greater access to resources. This gives better jobs and wages that come with better health benefits, like health insurance, retirement plans, and stable housing, all of which promote health equity. To elaborate on stable housing, with greater education and more lucrative employment, people can live in areas with expanded greenery, healthy food choices, and hospital options. These benefits tend to coexist with less pollution, increased political gravitas to push for additional resources, and finer education systems.
One of the drawbacks caused by lesser education is the amount of stress endured affiliated with social and economic detriment, caused by gender, race, sexual orientation, and other identity-related discriminiation. Receiving greater education has a greater likelihood of abating the outcomes of these kinds of stress because of access to auxiliary social infrastructures that provide fiscal, emotional, and psychological aid. These infrastructures can generate improved emotional and psychological capabilities to induce personal aptitudes in handling stress.
Education may at first seem to have a limited impact on health equity, but after closely analyzing the various processes in which education affects our chances at attaining equitable health, we can discern that the difference between greater and lesser education is more significant than simply a difference in health literacy comprehension.