Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 37, Number 7, 1 July 2020 — Choose “Health” in Our Upcoming Elections [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Choose “Health” in Our Upcoming Elections

By Jodi Leslie Matsuo, PH DR With elections coming up, there are many things people consider in deciding whieh candidates to support. As health is an issue that pertains to us all, learning the candidates' viewpoints on the issues that affect a person's health is important. While we listen to their debates and read their platforms on healthcare reforms and policies, let's not forget to play close attention to their position on those factors that influenee health. These factors - the social determinants of health - are the conditions in whieh people are born, grow, live, learn, work, play,

worship, and age. This includes the resources available in our eommunities, quality of our schools, and safety of our workplaces. Public heahh experts recommend five health behaviors that have been shown to reduce premature death, reduce risk of chronic disease (heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, etc.), and improve quality of life. These behaviors include: following a healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy body weight, not smoking, and not drinking aleohol excessively. These are all a matter of ehoiee. But what influences these choices? A person's ineome affects the type of food they buy, whieh makes it important to support candidates advocating for raising minimum salaries or providing incentives for higher education to get better paying jobs. Having regular and reliable public transportation - to get to grocery stores, safe places to exercise, or to a doctor's appointment - is an issue, especially on neighbor islands.

Electing officials that address physician shortages, including mental health professionals, is crueial in providing adequate access to health care services, for people to receive timely, regular heahh care and counseling. Supporting the right and ability to express your faith openly and respectfully helps people maintain their spiritual heahh, especially in Hawaiian culture where spirituality is the foundation of our families and who we are. If we believe that heahh eneompasses physical, mental, and spiritual heahh, then we know we must have pono in all these aspects in order to be healthy. Consider the factors that support your heahh and the heahh of your 'ohana when choosing the right candidate. ■ Born and raised in Kona, Hawai'i, Dr. Jodi Leslie Matsuo is a Native Hawaiian Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator, with training in Integrative and Functional Nutrition.