Education: a neglected social determinant of health

Abstract

Education and health and wellbeing are intrinsically linked. The evidence behind the importance of education as a determinant of health is amongst the most compelling. Education is strongly associated with life expectancy, morbidity, health behaviours, and educational attainment plays an important role in health by shaping opportunities, employment, and income. In this issue of The Lancet Public Health, two research Articles emphasise the lifelong impact of education on health. The study by Yu-Tzu Wu and colleagues shows that differences in education and wealth established earlier in life were strongly associated with disparities in healthy ageing across a large, multi country cohort of older people.

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