Not only does one’s education level affect his or her health; education can have multigenerational implications that make it an important measure for the health of future generations. Evidence links maternal education with the health of her offspring. Parents’ level of education affects their children’s health directly through resources available to the children, and also indirectly through the quality of schools that the children attend.
Further, education levels also positively influence a variety of social and psychological factors. For example, increased education improves an individual’s self-perception of both his or her sense of personal control and social standing, which also have been shown to predict higher self-reported health status.