Question

Develop a hypothesis about why nations with low literacy rates are more affected by disease than nations with high literacy rates. What are three factors that could cause this difference?

Answer 1

A population with a low literacy rate is less likely to have access to health education, which would be used to develop preventative health practices. A population with a low literacy rate usually performs unskilled labor for low wages and therefore has less income and access to healthcare. A nation with a low literacy rate is also less likely to have a stable government with the economic resources to provide infrastructure, sanitation, and healthcare. Finally, a population with a low literacy rate is more likely to have a rapidly growing population. This contributes to the spread of disease because it is harder for the government to provide adequate healthcare services to exploding populations.