Education is recognised as a social determinant of health by the World Health Organisation. “The condition in which people are born, grow, live, work and age, and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.” (WHO, 2016). The factors closest to the individual, such as; lifestyle, personal choices and decisions influence physical health and mental wellbeing more than factors further away. This is where education can be identified, as it contributes and influences to health as it gives individuals the opportunity to gain a wider range of knowledge, not only in an academic sense, but in terms of physical, emotional and mental wellbeing. The part in which education plays in society is evident in that it assists children and young adults with the knowledge of information and provides learning. This gives the people of society the capability to make their own informed decisions. Education can have a dramatic effect in various ways, it offers individuals and communities the chance to broaden knowledge, improve skills and to further enable society and is essential to economic and social growth, and can have a deep effect on population well-being. Addressing social determinants of health is paramount to attaining equal health chances. This essay is aimed to review how education can have a profound effect on physical and mental health and why education is seen as a social determinant and to look at how education is associated with other determinants of health.
The local government has a statutory obligation in relation to education. Children spend an average of six hours a day in school and thus education has a huge part in the development of children. Education impacts greatly on mental health and physical health. Mental health affects the ability to manage with change, transitioning into adolescence to learn, communicate and form relationships. The Mental Health Foundation states that 1 in 10 children and young people suffer from mental health problems. (mentalhealth.org, 2016) Mental health has a big impact on the whole life of an individual and is an integral part of life. Therefore, good mental health gives children the chance to adapt and cope with situations and help have a better transition in to adulthood.
This then goes onto physical health. The Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2008 were introduced in primary schools, this set strict guidelines for which types of food and drink to be provided to children within schools. Schools can contribute as a significant opportunity for intervention. Food and nutrition should be a concern for every school agenda as it can have a good effect on children, as it can help increase the ability to learn, and have better academic achievement. Schools introduced that children are to have at least sixty minutes of exercise per day to help promote better health. This strategy could also help with reducing stress. The advised amount of exercise for children between the ages of 5-18 year old is 60 minutes a day, and is compulsory until the age of 16 years old. Obesity has seen an extreme increase amongst children and has been depicted as a ‘global epidemic’ by the World Health Organization . (WHO, 2016) A chart indicates the health in local authorities in comparison to the rest of the UK, found that 5-16 year olds who spend at least two hours a week participating in school sport were significantly worse than the national average – National Indicator Set 2009. (A.Hill et al, 2010). Schools have the chance to make health habits in young children better and help challenge obesity, by offering healthier food options at lunchtime, breakfast clubs and introducing physical exercise activities in extra-curricular studies. (J.Naidoo and J.Wills 2009). Schools can offer healthier food options at lunchtime and develop bike routes or clubs. This can also be taught to pupils in theoretical terms: activity lessons, group discussions and having informed person, such as a nurse, teaching children aspects of healthy eating and lifestyle.
Schools should usually have a designated school nurse. School nurses aim to improve the health and wellbeing of the children, alongside working with families. Within the role, the nurse carries out health assessments, gives additional help and support when required for vulnerable children. This role also includes; providing immunisation clinics, guiding and directing schools with their public health agendas, for example: healthy eating advice and nutrition and anti-smoking programs. Also, checking weight and height measurements. More roles include giving advice on common childhood conditions such as eczema, asthma and diabetes, working alongside with general practitioners, health visitors and professionals from social care sectors. All adults who work within a school, have a duty to ensure the child’s needs are being met; in every aspect of learning, physical and mental. Nursing is interested in studying social determinants of health because it is in the best interest and needs of the patient. In the career of nursing, nurses witness the repercussions that social determinants have on health on a daily basis. The education years is a fundamental time; where an individual’s life is shaped, nurses could make a significant improvement if problems are addressed early. This could be by working closely with other professionals, seeking political inclusion and coming together in communities to tackle the issue early. Nurses should allow particular consideration on how they can support in giving advice and knowledge to patients in conformance with their understanding abilities.
Education is the system of communication, obtaining universal knowledge, and being able to expand in reasoning and judgment skills, in order to make a child or young person transition into adult life. It can also be viewed as a pivotal part of a person’s life; where it inevitably shapes an individual. Education supplies knowledge and can give success to opportunity, giving people the rights to independence, make choices and enable them with more prosperous opportunities. An individuals’ health is in correspondence with social excursion and achievements in academic studies. The time in school is a major factor in establishing social position in adulthood. Good education and performance can go onto higher paid careers, which empowers people to access to health care, when it is required. This ensures that support is in place for families, in terms of healthy food, safer living areas and conditions. A job has a need for knowledge, expertise and good understanding: Education is a fundamental foundation for this. Those who have low literacy skills are subject to unemployment and are more susceptible to being poor, which may cause the individual to be more vulnerable, leading to poorer health and lower life expectancy. The Kings Fund reviews and states that an extra four years in education at school has proved an increase by five year mortality rate, by 16%. (kingsfund.org, 2016)
People who have had a better education, have a greater advantage in terms of healthier living conditions, they are expected to smoke less and have a greater understanding in terms of nutrition and are more physically active. Adults who hold greater educational understanding are more inclined to avoid in engaging in confrontational or volatile situations , and engage in unsafe behaviours, such as; smoking or illegal drug taking. (J. Naidoo and J. Wills, 2010)
The academic aspiration of the parents plays a role in the children’s education, as they can offer support. Families living in this type of environment offers a secure and stable home.
Social Determinants of Health can cause communities to decline, if a community doesn’t offer the correct resources for education or a schools’ education system is not satisfactory, then this can have devastating consequences for the children and young people within the communities. The significance of education is crucial to the development of good health. Education is a powerful predictor of long-term health and quality of life. The lack of sufficient knowledge of one’s health can further deteriorate health. People who suffer from mental and physical health problems are more inclined to have inferior education levels, and be jobless in adulthood. It is vital to economic and social growth, as education has a deep effect on an individual’s wellbeing. Absence of high levels education levels can have a great impact on health, as the individual may not be bake to make healthy lifestyle decisions. People who have a lower threshold of education are connected with low cognitive and emotional activity. “low education levels are linked with poor health , more stress and lower self-confidence” (WHO, 2016) Self- esteem is established when a child is at school, during school years, children advance in terms of self-awareness and esteem, giving the enablement of academic success and help in the need for improvements. During this time rapports with teachers should be made. A reliable source from the Understanding Society website reviews a study that aims to balance power and secureness of the education system. The researcher’s analysed data from the British Social Attitudes Survey, their findings signified an obvious correlation between education and wellbeing. They also found that children who had a higher level of education are related with a vast spectrum of positive prospects; better health and wellbeing, higher social trust and less opposing attitudes towards immigrants. Finally, the level of education a powerful predictor of outcomes. The first three years of a child’s life symbolises a critical period, during which the foundations of learning, literacy and adaptive functioning that establishes mental and physical health must be encouraged. Brain development is fast in the first year of life. Breastfeeding has been closely associated with higher intelligence and IQ. (2014) It is indicated that women who breastfeed are those who had full time education, in comparison to women who had left school at the age of sixteen. (bbc.co.uk, 2015) In cases such as these, mothers should be informed in terms of what is best for the development of the child. Breast milk has many advantages as it had anti-inflammatory compounds, cytokines and provides protection. (bmcpublichealth, 2015)
For the improvement of early life wellbeing, policies should endeavour to focus to expand the normal level of education and offer the same choices. The local authorities have an important role in correspondence with the NHS for improving health. Education and early years is one of the areas which is the highest for government funding and spending. Schools should propose policies and approaches to help make a difference. Local governments have an important part, as well as the NHS for better health and healthcare. The largest area for the government spending is on Education and early years. Young adults from the age of 16-19 year old from lower -income families who remain in full time education are entitled to receiving a weekly allowance up to £40. This is called the Educational Maintenance Allowance. The purpose of this is to enhance to educational progression and to promote success of young people living in poverty.
In conclusion, education as a social determinant of health has a large influence on an individual’s overall health. Looking at ones health as a whole, education and other determinants are contributing factors in up keeping a good healthy life. Nurses have a major role in addressing the determinants of health as they partake in health care practices, as well as assisting individuals and supporting with public health policies. Health professionals should continue to pay attention to risk factors of inequality and offer their patients the information and resources they need to help children in education and child care programs that benefit the whole family. Children have to be given help and support in order to achieve the grades they are predicted and to have good prospects for jobs in future. Nurses should encourage to critically reflect on practice and take action to improve a child’s wellbeing. Children’s rights are extremely important and should be treated with the highest of care, to ensure that needs are met. It is evident that children do benefit from education, and with learning, they have better chances of achieving success in life.