Education as a determinant of health

Abstract

Education is currently defined not only as the learning-teaching process through the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and values but also as a key determining factor that influences the health of people throughout the development of their lives (WHO). The determinants of health are multidiverse within the bio-psycho-social context of a person and/or community from a perspective that goes beyond traditional medical care. Education is considered one of the most important social determinants of health, since it influences people's ability to access health information, adopt healthy lifestyles, make informed decisions about their well-being and access job and economic opportunities that impact their quality, style and standard of life. In Mexico, the importance of education in the health of the population has been investigated and analyzed in order to identify the possible causes and consequences of this relationship between education and health, where a close relationship has been observed between the educational level of the population and their state of health since people with higher levels of education tend to have better health and lower incidence and lower prevalence to develop chronic diseases, higher life expectancy and better quality of life in general. On the contrary, those with lower educational levels face greater challenges in terms of health and access to health services. Education as a determinant of health, influences multiple aspects. First, education provides people with the necessary tools to adopt healthy lifestyles, such as a balanced diet, regular exercise, and the prevention of risky behaviors. In addition, education favors informed health decision-making, allowing people to access truthful and up-to-date information about diseases, treatments, and preventive measures.