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Does the ‘success sequence’ impact health?
  • Each step of the success sequence is linked to evidence of protective health factors. Individuals who follow the steps are more likely to have better physical and emotional health than those who do not. In the absence of disease, followers are more likely to live long, healthy lives.
  • The success sequence does not only predict financial success. Following these steps enables young adults to establish patterns for successful life paths.

The “success sequence” – graduating from high school, working full time, and having children within marriage – is a clear path to financial success for young adults.

As 97% of those who take this path avoid poverty by their late 20s and early 30s, and 86% reach the middle class, the success sequence is a strong predictor of financial success regardless of race or socioeconomic status.

That’s why the state of Utah has prioritized teaching information about the outcomes of the success sequence to students in grades 6-12. Equipping them to make informed decisions that can impact their financial life for the better is certainly within the purposes of public education, one of which is for students to “become self-reliant and able to provide for themselves and their families.”

But does the success sequence also impact other areas of a student’s life, like their health?

Because “success sequence” is a newly coined term, there is limited scientific research connecting the health outcomes of the three steps together in sequence.

However, there is strong evidence linking each of the individual steps with health. The collective steps likely predict a greater protection for long-term health.

How do the steps of the success sequence improve health?

Education is a strong predictor of long-term health. Those who graduate from high school display lower rates of smoking, depression, obesity and cardiovascular disease compared with those who do not. Likewise, those with a high school diploma are more likely to be physically active and consume a healthy diet. Though more analysis about a causal relationship could be interesting, knowing that education and health outcomes are linked is helpful.

Full-time employment also works as a protective factor due to health insurance. Comparatively, full-time employees are more likely to have health insurance, which enables them to access care and preventive treatment and reduces the risk of developing chronic conditions. Full-time workers are also more likely to be physically active. Taken together, full-time employment could be a helpful way to promote health outcomes.

While the impacts of marriage on couples’ health vary within individual relationships, married mothers experience lower rates of mental disorders. Marriage also has a positive effect on a couple’s children. Children living with their biological parents have better physical and emotional health than their counterparts.

Also, it’s important to note that poverty is a social determinant of health – the nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes – which places individuals at higher risk for mental and physical health conditions. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that poverty leads to a variety of health issues and vice versa. Thus, just as following the success sequence steps reduces the risk of poverty, it is reasonable to tie better health outcomes to those steps as well.

Conclusion

All of this together may provide supporting evidence that incorporating information about the outcomes of the success sequence into state standards makes sense for students. As we’ve noted in prior articles, there is room in the health standards to incorporate teachings about those positive outcomes. But each individual step also has ties to health, which might be a natural and positive byproduct of students seeking to live out the financial benefits of the success sequence.

Insights: analysis, research, and informed commentary from Sutherland experts. For elected officials and public policy professionals.

  • Each step of the success sequence is linked to evidence of protective health factors. Individuals who follow the steps are more likely to have better physical and emotional health than those who do not. In the absence of disease, followers are more likely to live long, healthy lives.
  • The success sequence does not only predict financial success. Following these steps enables young adults to establish patterns for successful life paths.

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