Kelsey
Access to Quality Education
In this episode, talk to and toast Kelsey, who is increasing access to access to quality education through coordinating volunteers to clean, decorate, and open a locked library in a public school, volunteering to get beds to kids in need so they can sleep well, and orchestrating drives for bedding while getting cancer treatments.
Healthy People 2030 is the fifth iterative of a 40+ year initiative to help communities, organizations, and individuals improve American’s health and well-being. One of the key goals of Healthy People 2030 is to highlight the importance of the 5 Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) in increasing equity and reducing disparities in health; one of the five goals of Healthy People 2030 is directly related to the SDoH to “create social, physical, and economic environments that promote attaining the full potential for health and well-being for all” (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
The SDoH are the non-medical factors and environmental conditions where people are born, live, learn, work, play, and age. The SDoH influence up to 55% of our health outcomes including a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.
One of the five SDoH is access to quality education; there is a direct correlation between higher levels of education and healthier and longer lives. Children are more likely to struggle with math and reading if they are from low-income families, have disabilities, or experience social discrimination such as bullying. Further, these kiddos are less likely to graduate high school or go to college, which in turn, means they are less likely to obtain safe high-paying jobs and more likely to have health issues such as diabetes, depression, and heart disease. To add insult to injury, the brain development of children can be negatively affected by living in poverty, and attendance at poorly performing schools can further impede their ability to thrive in school and escape poverty. Interventions to increase access to quality education can help address these short and long-term health concerns.
Episode Resources:
US Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2030: SDoH
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Social Determinants of Health
Record a Toast to honor someone who has increased your quality of life