PhilCare, a leading health maintenance organization (HMO) reveals that residents of Metro Davao feel good about their health, despite relative frequent smoking and lack of preparedness for medical emergencies. 

On an average, Davaoenos smoke ten sticks a day compared to the nationwide average of about four.

For the 150 respondents, 81 are male and 69 are female. The result? 65 males (or 80%) said they smoke and among female respondents, only five (or 7%) smoke. On average, male smokers said they consume about ten sticks of cigarettes per day.

Ironies Abound

Davaoeños rated themselves as better in terms of health and wellness compared to most other Filipinos, however, they fared the opposite when it came to their overall composite score for wellness.

The average rating of the respondents’ overall composite score is based on six wellness domains: psychological, physical, lifestyle, financial, medical, and nutritional wellness.

When asked about their medical wellness, Davaoeños said they either did not have enough monetary resources for medical-related expenses or did not have regular check-ups compared to most other Filipinos.

However,when it came to their rest and relaxation spending, Davaoeños spent a lot more than most other Filipinos, shelling out an average of at least Php4,800. That is around 60% higher than the nationwide average of at least Php3,000.

When asked about how well their finances are, Davaoeños said they are in a worse shape. They scored 4.38, which means “neither good nor bad” on the Wellness Index scale, but means worse compared to the “somewhat good” nationwide score of 3.42.

Aside from that, they also fared worse than most other Filipinos in terms of lifestyle wellness, scoring 3.72, which is classified as “neither good nor bad” compared to the “somewhat good” nationwide average of 3.12.

A Responsive Study

The PhilCare Wellness Index is the only study in the country that measures the level of
perceived health and wellness among Filipinos

Lead researcher and University of the Philippines associate professor Dr. Fernando Paragas said that the PhilCare Wellness Index is composed of several wellness statements and it cover psychological, physical, medical, nutritional, financial, and lifestyle aspects. The index also asked respondents to rate their stress levels and satisfaction from sex, among others.

For the 2019 edition, 1,350 Filipinos nationwide were interviewed. 300 of the respondents came from Mindanao, 150 of which are from Davao City and from Tagum City, Davao Del Norte.

Mindanao Findings

Mindanaoans feel positive about their health despite being financially ill-prepared for medical-related emergencies and not being in a good state of health compared to the rest of the Filipinos.

They rated themselves as having “good” health, scoring 2.67 compared to 2.84 “somewhat good” nationwide rating. But when it comes to the actual determinants of wellness, Mindanaoans scored 3.66, which may be “neither good nor bad,” but is worse than the “somewhat good” 3.24 nationwide rating.

They do not have the capability to pay for their medical-related expenses and do not get to have regular check-ups. Other key wellness factors wherein Mindanaoans performed worse are financial and lifestyle. For financial wellness, they scored 4.41, which is “neither good nor bad,” but is worse than the 3.42 “somewhat good” nationwide score. Meanwhile, for lifestyle wellness, they scored 3.73, which is also “neither good nor bad,” but is also worse than the 3.12 “somewhat good” nationwide rating.

Sex Life

More Davaoeños and Mindanaoans have sex compared to the rest of the country, they are also more satisfied with their sex life compared to most Filipinos, with a rating of “good” (2.05 for Metro Davao, 2.10 for Mindanao) as against other Filipinos, who describe it as “somewhat good” (2.74). They have sex said they do it thrice a week compared to the nationwide average of twice a week. 

Nationwide Results
Despite Filipinos’ “somewhat good” sense of optimism about their health, they admit lacking the confidence to address their medical needs. The inability to finance their medical needs was evident in the findings of the survey, which said that more than 60% of respondents have incurred up to P30,000 in medical bills.

The study was inspired by wellness and health indices in New Zealand (The Sovereign Wellbeing Index of 2015), Canada (The Canadian Index of Wellbeing), and the United States (The State of American Well-Being of 2017).

PhilCare President and CEO Jaeger L. Tanco said the results of the survey are very useful in helping the health sector come up with programs that address the needs of Filipinos, helping them attain a better state of wellness.

“There is more to health than just the absence of disease. Our vision is to help promote a brand of health that is holistic and inclusive. The PhilCare Wellness Index gives us a clear picture on where we are when it comes to wellness and, more importantly, it charts a clear path on how far we can go to promote health among Filipinos,” he said.