Education

Education is one of the critical factors that can determine the opportunities available to us. As such the level and quality of education can have both long and short term implications for health. Improved Education improves health but risk of leaving behind the most excluded. NHS and Higher education very closely linked.

The White Paper identified a number of wider public health issues on which it calls for further action, including sexual health, tackling drugs, diet and nutrition, food safety, and work-based health promotion. This section of the report summarises the findings of systematic reviews of the effects of educational interventions, including both the form and content of health education and health promotion programmes.

Short-term benefits to children:

• All showed increased IQ, where figures available averaged 12-16 point higher IQ in daycare than controls at age 3 and 5-10 points at age 5
• All but one study showed greater school achievement in day care group; for example about half as many children were 'kept down a year' at school
• Improved classroom and personal behaviour. Some studies were also able to show a lower incidence of criminal behaviour in later life
• Improved classroom and personal behaviour. Some studies were also able to show a lower incidence of criminal behaviour in later life

Effects on mothers with children in the programmes:

• On average one more year of education than the control group
• More likely to have stable employment and higher weekly income
• Entered the work-force when their children were younger

Long term benefits, included:

• Higher levels of employment at age 19
• Fewer were in receipts of welfare assistance
• Fewer experienced teenage pregnancy

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