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Post by Leslee Castro on Sept 20, 2016 13:51:26 GMT
I found the information regarding earned income, stress levels, and life expectancy rates over the long-term to be both interesting and concerning, especially as it pertains to educational levels as discussed in the documentary Unnatural Causes. According to the documentary, college graduates live about two and a half years longer than high school graduates, and stress hormone levels were lower in individuals who had higher levels of education. The more educated an individual is, the more income they typically make in comparison to those with less education. This is also directly correlated with the amount of stress that these varying individuals endure throughout the day, with those who have a higher earned income releasing less cortisol and those who have a lower earned income releasing more. This is significant information that we need to take into consideration when understanding public health trends.
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Post by Megan Mikesell on Sept 20, 2016 14:46:17 GMT
I agree that education should be a focus for public health workers. Education even goes beyond just getting a good job and therefore being less stressed about income. Hahn and Truman state that "education is a process and a product". The process of education being equipping children with knowledge, values, socio-emotional awareness and control, skills of reasoning, social interaction, and so much more. The product being productive, engaged members of society. School also teaches children about healthy lifestyles, physical education, and can instill a level of confidence in them. The school system and the education our children receive could be a vital tool in shaping our society and knocking out these health barriers. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4691207/Hahn, R. A., & Truman, B. I. (2015). Education Improves Public Health and Promotes Health Equity. International Journal of Health Services : Planning, Administration, Evaluation, 45(4), 657–678. doi.org/10.1177/0020731415585986 |
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Post by Lex Hurley on Sept 21, 2016 21:56:09 GMT
Leslee, I very much agree that we in public health should take into account and share the information that higher levels of education not only benefit people's chances of sustainable employment, but also help to reduce overall life stress and lead to better health. That being said, for many at-risk populations, college might not be the most viable option whether due to cost or school difficulties/dropping out/etc. I personally believe that much of the reduced stress that has been observed amongst the populations in Unnatural Causes could be at least partly explained by increased employment wages as well as increased job security. Perhaps it would be advisable to recommend in-demand vocational schools to at-risk populations that would be able to train them for good paying jobs that would provide good security -- removing the constant stress that may be present from fearing losing one's job.
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Post by Summre Blakely on Sept 27, 2016 2:02:37 GMT
Leslee, you make great points! I also see Lex's point, however. This is a bit off topic, but I think one of the biggest problems in our education system that sets children up for failure is our curriculum. While it is important to know algebra and history, I also think a more reasonable extracurricular curriculum should be implemented to help children succeed past high school. For instance, a class on how to do your taxes, cooking with healthy ingredients on a budget, carpentry or vehicle repair, etc. So many children leave school and feel as if they have not been prepared for the real world. When I got my first job after high school, I had to call my dad to help me with the tax forms because I had had no exposure to that type of legal jargon or how to best handle my money. Balancing a budget or how to apply for food stamps would also be very helpful class subjects. So, seeing as college isn't and shouldn't necessarily be the sensible route for every American, we can best prepare these people for applying for jobs by implementing this helpful curriculum at a young age. Maybe if we could help improve some of these things then we could help improve the conditions for some people.
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