A community’s way of life and beliefs has a significant impact on their health status. This fact is evident in the Filipino community in the United States today. These can be defined as individuals who trace their origin to the Philippines but are settled in the United States. In a recent statistic, it was found that there are 4million Filipino Americans which makes them the second-largest population of Asian Americans. Notably, this population began the migration in search of better living conditions since the poverty within the country is extreme. While many have made a successful living and improved their living standards, others still live in poverty in the United States with affects their health status. Therefore, they require a health promotion plan that addresses this unique need as is explained in this paper.
Filipino American Health Status
Notably, this community is susceptible to a number of lifestyle diseases. For instance, Filipino Americans have a large number of men and women that succumb to hypertension. This is often a result of high consumption of salty food and lack of exercise. Additionally, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and strokes are in fact the leading causes of demise in the Filipino American community. While this community comes second to African Americans in the case of hypertension, they are statistically leading in the number of cancer cases ( Cuaresma, et al., 2018) . This immigrant minority group is also associated with many cases of depression with more Filipino men committing suicide more than women. This is very worrying considering most of them have young families. Tuberculosis is also a common reoccurrence among Filipino Americans as a result of poor living standards.
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Race and Ethnic Influence on the Filipino American Health Status
The mentioned conditions are a threat to the Filipino American population and are often a result of the community’s race and culture. For instance, Filipinos gravitate towards the use of natural herbs and treatment for ailments. Consequently, they rarely visit medical facilities. Unfortunately, they are unable to diagnose serious ailments such as cancer in good time for treatment. Also, Filipino Americans migrated from a country with food scarcity to a country with multiple options. This cultural influence prompts large intakes of food without physical activity with leads to lifestyle diseases such as hypertension and cancer. Evidently, if they changed their eating habits, they could have better statistics than those existing today.
Most Filipino Americans live in poverty and are susceptible to diseases such as tuberculosis. Compared to the national average, they are actually are a tenfold risk of acquiring TB ( Mello, Powlowski, Nañagas, & Bossert, 2006) . This is proof that race and ethnicity have an influence on their health. Furthermore, their culture demands that the men remain strong and do not share their concerns. As a result, men and women have no outlet and cannot cope with the cultural isolation which causes depression. Unfortunately, despite all these health concerns, the community receives minimal education from their local governments and continuously suffers. Therefore, the best approach with this community is educating the members on the grass root level on how they can take better care of themselves and improve their health status.
Key Barriers to Better Health for Filipino Americans
There are various factors limiting Filipino Americans from a better health status. These factors include:
Cultural Barriers
The Filipino Americans believe in indulging in a variety of foods for every meal is actually the cause of their lifestyle diseases. All human being need portions that keep them healthy to avoid hypertension and cardiovascular diseases.
Socioeconomic Barriers
Finances are definitely a barrier to proper health practices. Filipino Americans generally live below the poverty margin. Thus, they cannot afford medical services and succumb to diseases that are preventable or could have been treated earlier.
Education barrier
While many people from the Asian American community are educated, there is a clear lack of awareness of health issues ( Sanchez, & Gaw, 2007) . Specifically, the older generation seems oblivious to practices that can keep them healthier such as exercising, regular doctor visits and eating healthier.
Care Plan (Health Promoting Activities)
Evidently, this community needs a care plan to promote healthy activities. For ideal results, it is best to follow the three levels of health promotion and disease prevention.
Level 1: Primary Prevention
This step is purposed to prevent the onset of these lifestyle diseases in the Filipino American community. The best approach is creating awareness of healthy living which includes exercising, regular check-up and health-conscious food recipes. Giving knowledge helps Filipino Americans take these measures and understand the expected impact from making a change in their lifestyle. Essentially it will kill unhealthy habits ingrained in this culture such as excessive salt in food or reliance on fast food for young Filipino Americans assimilating to American foods.
Level 2: secondary prevention
Also, free cancer and cardiovascular disease screening are paramount for this community. First, they eliminate the cost implications that Filipino Americans worry about since majority leave below the poverty line. These screenings should be within the community where locals can reach them and have the opportunity to ask relevant questions. Preferably, the screening can also take place within the homes of Filipino Americans. A door to door campaign of this nature can ensure early diagnosis and treatment. Additionally, local volunteers should be involved because they will make all families feel welcome and more willing to take advantage of the free services. Also, the ensure educators in any health matter are constantly in the community to assist if necessary.
Level 3: Tertiary Prevention
The best approach to tertiary prevention is setting up rehabilitation centres for those already affected by lifestyle disease so that they can leave a more comfortable life. At these centres, the elderly can get physiotherapy, and exercising opportunities. Younger generations of people can also indulge in various sporting activities. The centres will also feature health practitioners to issue the necessary medication at a discounted price and with proper instructions. At this level, the Filipino American community is empowered to take care of their own community members and ensure that younger generation grows up with the knowledge of what they can do differently for themselves and their family members.
Notably, this steps must be executed strategically such that the finances and volunteers well sort out. Also, it is paramount that community members are involved in the development so that they can appreciate the changes being enforced to promote the health status of the community. Without their approval and consultation, the plan may not yield fruits in the desired magnitude. Active members also protect the health plan from destructive factors such as theft or misappropriation of resources.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there is potential in the Filipino American community which is a minority group that is often neglected. The plans discussed in this analysis ensure that the community uplifts itself despite the challenges that they are facing. Once the community addresses the cultural, and socio-economic barriers of health care they have a foundation to pursue other projects such as creating employment, and other opportunities. The Filipino community, in general, has a reputation for hard work and commitment. Thus, they can put the required effort together and get this project started. Ideally, since all age groups and genders are considered in the process, there is an element of continuity for years to come.
References
Cuaresma, C. F., Sy, A. U., Nguyen, T. T., Ho, R. C., Gildengorin, G. L., Tsoh, J. Y., ... & Stewart, S. L. (2018). Results of a lay health education intervention to increase colorectal cancer screening among Filipino Americans: A cluster randomized controlled trial. Cancer .
Mello, M. M., Powlowski, M., Nañagas, J. M., & Bossert, T. (2006). The role of law in public health: the case of family planning in the Philippines. Social Science & Medicine .
Sanchez, F., & Gaw, A. (2007). Mental health care of Filipino Americans. Psychiatric Services .
