NBHC Population Health
October 30, 2018
This Rutgers study supports the association between education and monetary investments in health. It found parents educated beyond high school invest more in family healthcare, reducing the likelihood of adverse medical conditions despite differences in family income and health insurance. Researchers found parental education beyond 12 years is associated with increases in family healthcare spending and decreases in specific conditions and poor health status, including chronic conditions. The study also found families headed by single mothers with higher levels of education spent more on prescription drugs and dental care, while two-parent families with more education spent more on dental care and mental health services.