Research Shows Wide Gap in Health Based on Education Status in Calif.
California ranked 51st out of all states and the District of Columbia in a state-by-state comparison of the gap between health status among the general population and among those with the highest education levels, according to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report released Wednesday, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The report found that 48% of California adults describe themselves as in less than optimal health, compared with 28% of the state's most highly-educated adults.
California also ranked 39th out of all U.S. states based on the percentage of residents reporting that they are in "less than very good health."
For the report, titled "Reaching America's Health Potential," researchers evaluated U.S. Census Bureau data and CDC self-reported health surveys.
The report's findings support other research demonstrating that income and education level affect health status more than access to medical services.
Paula Braveman, study co-author and director of UC-San Francisco's Center on Social Disparities in Health, said, "I don't think people realize how closely education is linked to health."Â Braveman added that California often scores low on measurements of education quality and investment.
The report found no significant differences in health status between different racial and ethnic groups, Braveman said (Colliver, San Francisco Chronicle, 5/6). This is part of the California Healthline Daily Edition, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.