Relationship between Health, Lifestyle, and Social Environment
Discuss about the Socio-economic and Environmental Studies.
“If you educate a man you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman you educate a family (nation).” – Dr. James Emmanuel Kwegyir-Aggrey (1875-1927, Ghana)
Humans are social being and social environment is very important in order to determine the health issues which include huge number of factors such as social factors and economic factors. Our health has a strong relationship with our lifestyle and the place where we live. A social element related to health helps to define a policy which aims at building a success ladder towards it. Society also helps to gain quality education which helps to give society socially, financially and culturally boost and also create employment opportunity. Poor environment leads to insecurities and increment of health issues (Wilkinson & Marmot, 2003). Kerala situated in south India had a good literacy rate i.e. 75.6% in 1981 and 91.9% in 2011 which has created large number of positive health benefits. .Sex ratio and women education plays a major role in the success of socio economic and healthier life style. In 1981, women literacy rate in India was 29.80% and it increased to 65.4% in 2011. Similarly, sex ratio in India is 1084 female per 1000 males (Shetty & Shetty, 2014b). An individual’s opportunities with respect to health are highly influenced and motivated by the economic condition in which they survive. Such opportunities are summarized in a social determinants approach regarding health which aims at identifying that the wide segment of factors measured at local, national and international level have significant influences on health. As many of the mentioned factors are exterior the straight responsibility of the healthcare segments, creating higher awareness among the non-health segments of the impact of their respective policies and practices on health is important in creating and developing better health benefits.
In Women and Literacy, Marcela Ballara (1992) defines literacy as “the apprenticeship for the knowledge needed to cope with everyday needs, including the individual’s relationship with the surrounding world”. Health is social, economic, cultural and political wellness of an individual. Education plays a major role in living a disease free life and avoid negative vibes as well. When a female is educated. She can educate the whole family and gradually the whole nation can be educated. High infant mortality rate, parental mortality rate and life expectation are the evidences of good health in Kerala. In 1981, the female literacy rate increased to 50% and the infant mortality rate was 42 per 1000 which reduced to 12 per 1000 in 2011 (Shetty & Shetty, 2014a). Maternal mortality rate decreased to 61 from 81 from the year 2007 to 2008 and since 2007, total fertility rate in Kerala is 1.8 which is constant (“Achievements under Millennium Development Goals “, 24-July-2015). This confirm that women education affects directly to children and mother living in Kerala because they are the one who provide quality life to their kids and focus on fertility rate. Likewise, in 1985, immunization program by WHO in Kerala was propelled to create awareness against diseases related to pregnant women and kids (Kumar & Devi, 2010). Women living in Kerala are more educated and they are more focused on using contraceptive measures to avoid unwanted pregnancy and plan family with quality time. They get married at higher age to reduce the fertility rate. As per data from 2002 to 2006, life expectancy rate of male living in Kerala was 71.4 and female was 76.3 as compared to Indian National expectancy i.e. 62.6 of male and 64.2 of female (Tiwari, 2013). Likewise underweight and anemic disease are also the cause of healthy diet in Kerala i.e. 24 in make and 21.8 in female if compared to national data i.e. 41.9 males and 43.1 females out of 1000 which shows that women education helps to maintain proper dietary pattern. Similarly, reproductive health of Kerala has enhanced with women empowerment. One out of three antenatal checkup was attended by pregnant women which decreased the fear of infant and maternal mortality. 99.3 % of women in Kerala also preferred delivery at hospital (Kumar & Devi, 2010). Mothers avoided trusting on superstitions and they preferred to treat their sick children in hospital instead of other treatments (Soman, 1992).
Impact of Women Education on Health and Socioeconomic Indicators in Kerala
There are huge number of causes of inequalities in education sector and one of the major cause is the unfair and unequal distribution of health in local community. Health is not experienced at an equal level by all the individuals; rather it is a great social slope that take place between the normal years of sound health enjoyed by those who lives in higher socioeconomic segments and those who lives in lower segments of groups. Enhancing and developing educational outcomes between the most disadvantaged segments has a huge potential to boost the positive impact on the inequalities in terms of health issues.
While Bihar and UP residing as a neighbors of Kerala, the women education is worse there. In 2004, the women literacy rate in Bihar was 33.1% and 42.2% in UP which is very poor if compared to Kerala (BHARATI, Singh, Chandra, & Singh, 2014). Likewise, children vaccination in Bihar is 38.6 and 24.5% in UP which is the main reason behind increased infant and maternal mortality rate. The life expectancy of female in Bihar is 58 year and male is 60.7 years and in UP, it is 57.7 for female and 58.9 for male (Tiwari, 2013). If the life expectancy of the females living in Kerala and Bihar and UP are compared, it can be examined that the life expectancy of women living in Kerala is higher as compared to that in UP and Bihar. It is not only about educating girls and providing vaccination but it also covers the issues such as gender discrimination. Girls living in states like UP and Bihar are not sent to schools for education and they are not given proper nutrients as well which has created lots of economical and health issues (Tiwari, 2013). Government can solve such issues by conducting several awareness programs and policies by introducing new education system and vocational programs in all areas. Compulsory female education with meals, free books, uniform and extra incentives must be done by governments (MISHRA, 2006). Several laws and policies must be introduced against women violence and involvement of women in schools, health centers can also help in creating women empowerment and motivate them by creating better life style along with information related to nutrition and balanced diet. If women are educated, they will be able to take better decisions such as proper family size and birth spacing which can reduce fertility rate and complication during pregnancy. As a result, they will be more conscious towards sanitation, clean and safe drinking water, healthy diet, exercise and better life style.
Comparison of Women Education and Health Indicators in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh
The total number of rural women who goes to schools is growing but still; illiteracy and access to quality education is lagging behind and it is matter of great concern for the state like UP and Bihar. A current study has showed that the major population living in Bihar has raised up by 25% in the past few years which has set an alarming rate that must be taken under consideration. All development work and GDP growth rate can become a serious issue if this will not be controlled by the government. Education plays an energetic role in soothing the growing population. The literacy rate of Bihar has raised to 16.6% from the year 2001 to 2011. The last year in Bihar has showed an unpredicted growth in terms of education sector. Efforts made by the local government of Bihar in order to enhance accessibility to educational facilities are the symptoms of positive signs. It shows the positive changes in the state. The literacy rate in Bihar has increased from 47% in the year 2001 to 63% in the year 2015. The improvement in the women education is one of the highest reward that Bihar has got during that particular period of time. The total drop out and downfall rate of the children who do not go to school has also declined. The total number of education centers has grown as compared in the year from 2001 to 2015. On the contrary, education rate in Bihar is considered by huge gaps found between urban and rural women. The living standard of the people living in urban area and rural area is far different with each other. The people living in urban area are broad minded and they are free to learn new and innovative technologies. But when it comes to people living in rural areas, they are narrow minded and they hesitate doing things because of lack of proper education and updated technologies. They have low access to the medical services, low income and restricted inheritance and land rights. The women living in rural areas have scarcity of job security, injustice and violence. The eventual reason for all the problems is because of the scarce of quality education for the females living in Bihar. If women living there will be provided proper education, then they will be able to educate their other family members and slowly and gradually a whole family will be educated. She can assist her children and make them complete their school work without any additional tutors. But instead of this, they are forced to complete the house activities.
Challenges and Opportunities for Women Education in Rural Areas
Thus, female education is very crucial for the success of the country. The major factors to determine the health are maternal mortality rate, infant mortality rate and life expectancy. Kerala has created an example for the whole world in terms of high female literacy, low infant and maternal mortality rate. Similarly, UP and Bihar are still lagging behind in all the factors. Women are deprived of food and education and they must be educated so that they can take better decisions and solve health related issues. In addition to this, women education plays a major role in the growth of any country in large number of areas such as economical areas, cultural, social and health segments. In the recent scenario where the entire universe if fighting for the female education, gender discrimination and growing infant and maternal mortality rate, Kerala has proved itself to set standards due to the high literacy rate and low infant rate. They are happily enjoying the great level of right. Similarly on the contrary, UP and Bihar are facing the major critical issues of low literacy rate. Females are suffering from their basic rights and they are not given proper education. In case of Kerala, the government has updated the living standards of the people living there by conducting several education programs especially for women and provided training to boost the women empowerment. This should also be done by the states such as Bihar and UP.
References:
Achievements Under Millennium Development Goals (24-July-2015).
BHARATI, R. C., Singh, K. M., Chandra, N., & Singh, A. K. (2014). Economic condition of eastern region of india-an statistical evaluation. Journal of AgriSearch, 1(3).
Kumar, N. A., & Devi, D. R. (2010). Health of Women in Kerala: Current Status and Emerging Issues: Kochi Kerala: Centre for Socio-economic and Environmental Studies, Working Paper Series.
MISHRA, D. R. N. (2006). Women Educaiton and Development.
Shetty, A., & Shetty, S. (2014a). The Impact of Female Literacy on Infant Mortality Rate in Indian States. Current Pediatrics, 18(1).
Shetty, A., & Shetty, S. (2014b). The influence of female literacy on the sex ratio in Indian states. International Journal of Medical Science and Public Health, 3(10), 1219-1225.
Soman, C. (1992). Nutrition and health developement-lessons from Kerala. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 51(01), 81-92.
Tiwari, A. (2013). Gender inequality in terms of health and nutrition in India: Evidence from national family health survey-3. Pacific Business review International, 5(12), 1-11.
Wilkinson, R. G., & Marmot, M. (2003). Social determinants of health: the solid facts: World Health Organization.
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