“WEALTHIER NATIONS HAVE HEALTHIER POPULATIONS”
by Contributor
(Oct. 24, 2016) — You may not realize it at first, but public health and the economy are actually linked. In other words, if you want the economy to do well for the long term, you need public health education and public health policies in place that will keep the population thriving and happy.
Continue reading to learn more about the link between public health and the economy. And if you want to do your part, consider getting your master of public health degree or your public health degree online from a university with a reputable program.
Healthier Populations Are Found in Wealthier Nations
There is a known link between economic performance and health performance, as wealthier nations actually have healthier populations. Poverty keeps people from being able to support themselves and their families, and that prevents them from supporting their economy at a local level. Also, infant malnourishment and infant mortality adversely affect overall life expectancy, and that affects the job market and the economy as well.
Growth is also slower in nations where there are poor educational and health conditions. After all, how can a population enjoy sustained growth if they are too sick or uneducated to work? Researchers have even found that just a 10% boost in life expectancy at birth will help increase economic growth anywhere from 0.3% to 0.4% annually.
Health Insurance and Income
Income also has an effect upon the creation of health systems that work. Public spending and health insurance coverage, as a couple of examples, are affected by a person’s ability to pay for what they need. And because health expenditures will increase more quickly than people’s incomes, individuals need to have a strong economy in order to afford the right healthcare for themselves and their families. When the health insurance industry is doing well because the economy is strong, people will be healthier too because they will actually be able to afford the health coverage that they need in order to treat their ailments before they get worse.
Stress and Illness Are Linked
There is also a link between stress and illness. When people get sick but they can’t afford the right health care, they will grow even more ill as a result of the stress involved. Also, when people lose their jobs and can’t find work to replace their old job, they encounter more health problems and shorter life spans as a result. During recessions and times of high layoffs, people’s odds of dying actually increase. But when the economy is strong, people stress less and they can focus more on maintaining their health, rather than on getting by day to day on the little bit of money that they have.
As you can see, there are many ways in which the economy and public health are linked. If you wish to enter the field of public health to help people at home or abroad, consider getting your masters in public health online so that you can become qualified to seek the most fulfilling jobs.