Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 33, Number 4, 1 April 2016 — What are the social determinants of health? [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

What are the social determinants of health?

By Ka Wai Ola Staff

The factors that inhuenee our health go beyond blood pressure, body mass indexes and general physical fitness. A new video from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs describes the Hawaiian framework of Mauli Ola, whieh considers physical, emotional, mental and spiritual heahh through all phases of life, and balances these with personal, social, eeonomie and environmental factors that ean also inHuenee heahh and wellbeing. This holistic approach to heahh begins at home, but as the video points out, "When talking about heahh, we should also consider the heahh and well-being of our 'ohana, our community and the 'āina." For busy families juggling school, work and extracurricular activities, finding time to concentrate on heahh and well-being may seem like a daunting task. For some parents, even preparing a healthy meal in time for dinner is a challenge after a long day at work, topped off by a slow commute home. However, even small changes could open the door to significant heahh improvements - for individuals, communities and the land: • Joining a hula hālau may primarily be a cultural activity, but it also has the added benefit of exercise and offers a plaee to connect to other members of the community. • Taking a ku'i kalo workshop will teach the cultural significance of taro to Native Hawaiians, but health-wise, it also could turn poi preparation into a family activity that puts a healthy carbohydrate on the table and makes those greasy fast-food fries less appealing. • For keiki, school and community gardens ean help them learn to steward the 'āina, while also offering a harvest of healthy produce to supplement school and home meals. Drying some of that freshly picked fruit provides a sweet and nutritious alternative to candy. • A community work day at a fishpond or community farm ean improve the heahh of the 'āina, but it also helps improve the health of the people who labor there through exercise and a deeper connection to the 'āina. That connection could lead to more time spent outdoors taking part in physical activities. To learn more about Mauli Ola and to to watch the "Social Determinants of Heahh" video, visit www.oha.org/health. ■

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