Level of Education and Health Status of the Different Social Groups: Case Study Macedonia

Abstract

The educational level is an important indicator within the socioeconomical status for health evaluation and a powerful instrument in promotion of population’s health. In 2000 a study conducted in R. Macedonia, in 15 municipalities with different gross national product per capita, encompassing 1129 examinees older than 18 years. The results of the conducted research showed statistically significant association of the educational level with the morbidity. Higher morbidity emerges in persons that are illiterate (78,57%) and in those who have completed only 1-3 elementary school grades (77,08%). There is also an interaction between the mortality and the educational level. Persons with lower educational level have higher mortality rate. What kind of interaction is there between the educational level and the positive health? People with lower educational level are more susceptible to diseases; they are less informed which leads to a poor health. Morbidity and mortality rates are lower in people with higher educational level, who also have high level of self-informing that augments their health awareness and culture, leading towards positive health. According to many research studies, the mechanisms that link education to positive health are the employment and self-satisfaction with the job, healthy lifestyle, psycho-social resources etc. There is a mutual negative effect between poverty and lack of education that provides skills and information needed for managing the stress situations life brings with itself. Education, employment and incomes increase the capacity of self-control, and that condition strengthen the health in relation to the environment The social support, which is most frequent in persons with higher educational level, promotes health and decreases mortality through physiological mechanisms of the environment. People with higher educational level most likely will look for preventive health care (yearly check-ups for health control, immunization and other preventive examinations) and will probably not abuse alcohol and drugs. Preparation of various programs for applying the health education will contribute in the process of directing the individual to correct behavior that leads towards positive health, opposite the hostile influences of the social environment, which leads to bad quality in health (based on the education).