Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2026
Advisor
Jeannette Manger
Abstract
Although increasing levels of educational attainment has been linked to stronger health outcomes in the United States, the mechanism behind this relationship and quantifiable relationship warrants further investigation. It is hypothesized that increasing level of educational achievement leads to improved job placement, higher wages, and improved health literacy, which directly contribute towards stronger health outcomes. The objective of this study was to further investigate the link between education and health outcomes through a variety of social and environmental parameters as reported in the County Health Rankings (CHR) dataset. Healthy counties were categorized as those that received a ranking of 5 or lower on the CHR scale, while unhealthy counties were those that received a ranking of 6-10. Of note, healthier counties exemplified a higher proportion of adults with some post-secondary education (p< .001), improved school funding adequacy (p< .001), stronger academic performance on standardized exams (p< .0001), lower proportion of disconnected youth (p< .001), and significantly lower proportion of children enrolled in free or reduced lunch plans (p< .001). Further, a significant upward trend was identified with respect to increasing proportion of broadband access and increasingly stronger health outcomes at the county level. Counties with stronger academic achievement and early education performance are positively correlated with stronger health outcomes with respect to life expectancy, years of life lost, and overall quality of life. It is essential that public health initiatives in the United States account for the impact of education as a social determinant of health during the planning phase of these programs.
Repository Citation
Cadmus, M., & Thota, S. (2026). Investigation of Educational and Social Factors Affecting Health Outcomes in the United States. Wright State University. Dayton, Ohio.
