Education Affects Healthcare Access and Preventable Deaths, Study Shows

By Adebowale Bello. B.Tech Microbiology. DLHA Fellow. Medically reviewed by the DLHA team.

June 3, 2026.

An image of a young black woman in a graduation gown and standing in front of an academic building. Image Credit: Open AI

When we think about what affects our health, most people think about food, exercise, sleep and regular medical checkups and truly these are all important. However, there is another factor that quietly influences health outcomes in ways many people do not always notice and that factor is education.

Education does much more than prepare people for jobs or improve income. It often shapes how people understand health information, when they seek medical help and how easily they can navigate healthcare systems.

This was brought into sharp focus as researchers found that over the past 25 years in the United States, people with lower levels of education have become increasingly less likely to access outpatient healthcare. At the same time, deaths that could have been prevented through proper medical care have risen more sharply among this group.

Although this study focused on the United States, its findings raise important questions for African countries, where access to healthcare is already shaped by many social and economic challenges.

About the Study

The study examined the relationship between being educated and seeking medical care over a long period. The researchers analysed healthcare data from 476,277 adults aged 25 years and above between 1996 and 2022. They also reviewed over 26 million death certificates from adults aged 25 to 74 years between 2001 and 2023.

The goal was to understand two key things:

• First, whether people with varying education levels use outpatient healthcare differently. Outpatient care refers to medical services people receive without being admitted to a hospital and this includes routine doctor visits, health screenings, follow-up consultations and preventive care appointments

• Second, whether education affects deaths that could potentially have been prevented with timely and effective medical care. These are often referred to as medically preventable deaths and they include deaths linked to conditions that modern healthcare can often manage or treat when detected early such as high blood pressure leading to a stroke or breast cancer that could have been treated if found earlier.

What the Study Found

The researchers compared adults with a bachelor’s degree to those without one. 

In 1996, adults without a bachelor’s degree were already less likely to visit healthcare providers than those with higher education.

At that time:

• 26.4% of adults without a degree had no healthcare provider visits
• 20.2% of adults with a degree did not visit the doctor.

This gap was concerning, but what happened over time was even more worrying. 

By 2022, the difference had widened significantly, becoming nearly twice as large. This means that over time, education became an even stronger predictor of whether someone would seek medical care.

The study also found that these differences remained even after adjusting for health-related factors. This is important because it shows the gap cannot simply be explained by some groups being healthier and therefore needing fewer doctor visits.

Instead, the findings point to deeper barriers such as:

• Financial challenges

People with lower educational attainment often have lower incomes, which can affect their ability to afford healthcare.

• Limited health literacy

Understanding medical advice, recognising symptoms and knowing when to seek care often depends on access to health information.

• Difficulty navigating healthcare systems

Booking appointments, understanding insurance systems and following through with treatment plans can be difficult without adequate support.

Furthermore, the study revealed an increasing difference in preventable deaths. This means people with lower educational attainment were more likely to die from conditions that could often have been treated or managed if proper medical care had been accessed in time.

Related: The More Education You Have, The Longer You Live; Study Says

Why Education Affects Health

At first glance, education and healthcare may seem unrelated but education influences health in several practical ways.

People with more education are often better equipped to:

• Understand health information

They may find it easier to interpret medical advice, medication instructions and public health messages.

• Recognise early warning signs

Understanding symptoms can encourage people to seek care earlier.

• Ask the right questions

Education often builds confidence in communicating with doctors and other healthcare providers.

• Make informed decisions

It becomes easier to compare treatment options and follow recommended care plans.

This does not mean people with less formal education care less about their health. It simply highlights how systems often favour those who can understand and navigate them more easily.

What the Study Means for Africans

Even though this research was conducted in the United States, its lessons are highly relevant across Africa. In many African countries, healthcare access is influenced by challenges such as poor health infrastructure, long travel distances to clinics, high out-of-pocket medical costs and a shortage of healthcare workers.

Crucially, education often becomes an important tool for overcoming some of these barriers. For example, a person who understands the importance of preventive screening may be more likely to prioritise regular checkups and someone with stronger health literacy may recognise early symptoms of conditions such as hypertension, stroke, diabetes or cervical cancer and seek treatment earlier.

Related: Income and Education Affects Your Stroke Recovery, Study finds

The findings should also encourage African governments, health institutions and public health organisations to invest more in health education.

This includes:

• Community health awareness campaigns

Simple, clear and local-language health information can bridge knowledge gaps.

• School-based health education

Teaching health education early can create lifelong healthy habits.

• Simplified healthcare communication

Medical information should be easy for everyone to understand regardless of educational background.

• Improved primary healthcare access

Healthcare should be made easier to reach, especially for underserved communities.

Wrap Up

This study reminds us that health inequalities are often driven by social factors. Access to healthcare is not just about whether hospitals exist but rather whether people understand when they need care, can afford it and have implicit trust in the system.

If educational disparities continue to influence healthcare access, preventable illnesses and deaths will continue to rise. Addressing this requires action beyond hospitals and clinics. It requires stronger education systems, better health communication and policies that make healthcare easier for everyone to access.

Source: Gaffney A, Woolhandler S, Dickman SL, Schrier E, McCormick D, Himmelstein DU. Health Care Use and Health Care?Amenable Mortality Among US Adults With and Without a Bachelor's Degree, 1996?2023. Am J Public Health. 2026 May;116(5):692-701. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2025.308373. Available from here

Published: June 3, 2026

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