Effectiveness of Education on Health: A Cross-Cultural Comparison between Muslim and Horizon Communities in Rajshahi Metropolitan City of Bangladesh

Abstract

Education and health are the two very important elements of human capital. Educational knowledge enhances human being to get proper healthcare facilities all over the world. In Bangladesh education and health are the two main fundamental rights of every citizen, which is ensured by the constitution. The present study, the author tried to find out effectiveness of education on health. The purpose of the study was to examine and compare how education influences on health outcome between Muslim and Horizon communities. In this study, total number of 275 (150 for Muslim and 125 for Horizon) respondents were interviewed by the author during April to July, 2012 in the Rajshahi Metropolitan City of Bangladesh. The simple random sampling technique was applied when sample size selected. Various statistical techniques were used during analyzed data, such as mean, median, standard deviation, variance and Pearson correlation with SPSS software in version 15.The present study showed that education was greatly influence over health outcomes. The author found that Muslim community dominated the minor community (Horizon) in the various sphere of life. Most of the respondents studied up to primary level which was 45.09%. 76.73% respondents seemed that proper educational knowledge positively enhanced to get healthy life style. 51.64% respondents seemed that communal destitution is existed to get educational attainment and take healthcare facilities. 68.73% respondents argued that they were concern about families planning methods. 66.18% respondents showed their opinion that educational knowledge made conscious about primary diseases, how and where to take diagnosis and treatment of their suffering diseases. 89.45% respondents expressed their fillings that educational knowledge enhances to get better healthcare facilities.

Keywords: Education, Health, Cross-Cultural Comparison, Muslim, Horizon, Bangladesh.