How Educational Inequality Affects Health Outcomes

Abstract

Although lower education is strongly associated with poor health in minority people, more so than in majority people, pathways underlying the relationships are less understood. This book chapter examined how socioeconomic status (SES) lifestyle mediated the relationships between education and health between majority and minority groups in Bangladesh. In so doing we directly assessed our research objectives from representative sample (N=550, age range 20-30 years) from Muslim (n=190), Hindu (n=180) and Santal (n=180) men in Bangladesh. In data analysis, descriptive and statistical mediating tools were used. The results from mediation analysis suggested that lower SES and lifestyle mediated the association between education and health between majority and minority groups, after accounting for demographic characteristics. The current study provides evidence that lower education, SES and unhealthy lifestyle contributes to poor health in the minority groups in Bangladesh. Further research and health policy implications are discussed.