Eating healthier, exercising, avoiding lifestyle habits like smoking and drinking alcohol, and getting regular medical checkups are all frequently discussed in maintaining a healthy body. These are all valid and proven by medical doctors and scientists.
Social Determinants of Health
But what’s also accepted to be contributing factors to health by the medical community is what’s called Social Determinants of Health or SDOH, which refers to non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. Examples are socioeconomic backgrounds, income, employment, education, working conditions, housing, the environment.
Unlike the traditionally discussed health interventions like eating better and exercising that can easily be integrated into our lifestyle, SDOH’s are not as simple to correct, which is perhaps why it’s not as readily and openly discussed even though SDOH can directly impact health.
The dilemma: how can you tell a senior in his late 60s to retire from a physically grueling job but cannot stop working due to finances? Or for that matter under-skilled or undereducated employees getting paid minimum wage to stop working their two jobs to make time for exercise? Or to expect a houseless person not to have poor mental health? It’s just not realistic or practical.
But SDOH not only must be seriously discussed frequently among public health officials and medical professionals, the economic and political policies that can help to improve these conditions over time must be advocated for in government and brought to greater awareness in the community.
Hawaii Walk for Health
This is one reason why the first ever Hawaii Walk for Health that recently occurred was a great idea and initiative. The walk – that targeted Hawaii’s Filipino community – addressed SDOHs and traditional health concerns in a fun setting.
Kudos to the organizers of this event: the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of Hawai’i (UPAAH), the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON), the Hawai’i Workers Center (HWC) and the sponsors of the event.
In addition to promoting healthy lifestyles and SDOHs, the walk also brought awareness to health statistics that are sobering and in dire need of advocacy.
According to the State’s Department of Health, Filipinos face higher mortality rates for coronary heart disease compared to most other ethnicities in Hawaii. The Filipino community has the highest mortality rates for stroke in the state. They are also known to have the highest rates of high blood pressure and cholesterol, heart and kidney disease, and other chronic diseases.
Besides lifestyle health choices, SDOH contributes to these statistics. For example, while there is progress in Filipinos’ educational attainment, it’s still not where our community ought to be. Less education often translates to less income. And less income means more time must be dedicated to working long hours, maybe two jobs, and doing physically and mentally stressing jobs.
Filipino health lobby
The Hawaii Walk for Health is on the right track to something special and could build upon what it has done so far. Perhaps the Walk’s organizers can work with Hawaii’s Filipino medical organizations such as the Philippine Medical Association of Hawaii (PMAH) and other civic and social groups, as well as Filipino healthcare professional organizations in forming a lobby group in Hawaii to work on improving SDOHs on behalf of the Filipino community.
The poor statistical health data of our community is evidence enough that something must be done in the way of organizing and advocating for our community’s health equity.
A Filipino health lobby would be empowering and complements the existing initiatives aimed at improving the health of Filipinos like the various community health fairs and free medical services of the Bayanihan Clinic Without Walls (BCWW) for the uninsured and poor.
What are some of the SDOH policies a Filipino lobby can advocate for? Better wages so that fewer in our community would need to work two jobs and instead spend some time with family and to work on being healthier.
Another area is to advocate for affordable housing, which not only provides shelter and security, but can lower extreme mental stress associated with paying for high rents. Stress lowers our bodies natural defenses against illness and disease, and it’s been linked to all six of the most common causes of death. On its own, studies show stress is one of the major causes of death.
Advocacy for preserving our state’s natural beauty and stopping climate change, childcare, senior care, workforce development, and so many other areas where good policies can impact healthier outcomes deserve advocacy.
We’re pleased that SDOH was made a part of the awareness campaign in the Hawaii Walk for Health. It’s unique, progressive and pioneering when it comes to community health awareness drives. There hasn’t been attention given to SDOH and health equity as a means to improving health.
Mabuhay to the organizers of the Hawaii Walk for Health. We hope that this event grows and will be an annual event for our community.
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