{"id":9761,"date":"2024-11-08T16:11:59","date_gmt":"2024-11-08T08:11:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/?p=9761"},"modified":"2024-11-08T16:12:21","modified_gmt":"2024-11-08T08:12:21","slug":"young-filipinos-more-susceptible-to-illness-despite-health-awareness-says-manulife-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/young-filipinos-more-susceptible-to-illness-despite-health-awareness-says-manulife-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Young Filipinos more susceptible to illness despite health awareness, says Manulife study"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Financial security, susceptibility to illnesses, and lack of health awareness are factors that influenced the behavior of Filipinos in adopting healthier lifestyles. This is according to a study conducted by Manulife Philippines entitled \u201cIn Wellness and In Health\u201d which delves into the landscape of health, well-being and financial preparedness in the Philippines.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conducted to a total 1,000 Filipino male and female\nconsumers across four age groups (18-29; 30-39; 40-49; and 50-55), and\ndifferent income groups, the study found out that 86% of respondents believe\ntheir health is determined by their lifestyle choices. This same percentage\nalso cited barriers that prevent them from having healthy lifestyles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Rahul Hora, Manulife Philippines\npresident and chief executive officer, many young Filipinos are facing a rise\nin illnesses and lifestyle-related issues despite health awareness. \u201cThis gap\nbetween awareness and action implies that mere knowledge isn\u2019t sufficient. We\nmust find solutions to these real-world barriers preventing young people from\npracticing healthier lifestyles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study says 33% of Filipinos, prominently in the\nlower income households, admit their current lifestyle is unhealthy, with\nyounger Filipino adults at age range 18 to 29 get sick more often than other\nage groups, despite health awareness. It was also noted in the survey that\namong all respondents, the average number of sick days a year is 2.7 times.\nHowever, for those in the 18 to 29 age group who get sick more often, the\nnumber rose to an average of 3.4 times a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This may be the result of unhealthy diet, stress, and\nthe lack of sleep and exercise among young Filipinos in the 18 to 29 age\nbracket, compared with other age groups. According to 68% of respondents, the\nreason for lower exercise rates was a perception that following a regular\nexercise routine is expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of proper sleep and exercise, as well as the\ntendency to neglect their overall health, can make younger Filipinos\nsusceptible to illness. This age group is also more reluctant to changing their\nlifestyles due to a perceived \u201cfear of missing out.\u201d They spend a huge chunk of\ntime nurturing their social lives, and may be less willing to change their\nhabits for a healthier lifestyle due to perceived costs and inconvenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hora said young Filipinos need the support they can\nget to better translate health and wellness information into everyday habits,\nincluding taking necessary steps toward achieving financial security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, to prevent illness, a healthy diet is\nconsidered as the healthy lifestyle to follow. But, in contrast, three in every\n10 Filipino respondents admit their current lifestyles are unhealthy, and half\nof the respondents claimed that majority of their meals are not healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lack of knowledge and misinformation about health alter\nFilipinos\u2019 perceptions of the need for a healthy lifestyle. Forty six percent\nof respondents believe that healthy meals are less appetizing while 35% share\nthat they are more difficult to prepare and find. The survey also found out\nthat 25% believe critical illnesses can only afflict older Filipinos, while 21%\nthink eating habits and nutrition have very little or no impact on children\u2019s\nmental development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hora said the survey underscores a critical gap\nbetween awareness of the importance of a healthy diet and its actual\nimplementation among Filipinos. \u201cMisconceptions and perceived barriers such as\ncost, taste, and preparation difficulty continue to hinder healthier lifestyle\nchoices. It is important to address these issues through education and\naccessibility to ensure better health outcomes for all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The survey found out that Filipinos remain financially\nunprepared for medical emergencies as a significant portion of medical\nexpenses, about 41%, still comes out-of-pocket, mainly from personal savings.\nThis highlights a gap between the perceived adequacy of health coverage and the\nfinancial reality faced during actual medical emergencies, putting a\nconsiderable burden on individuals and families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The survey also reveals a stark difference in savings\nfor medical expenses across different age<\/p>\n\n\n\n

groups. On average, respondents have set aside PhP62,000\nfor future medical needs such as emergency services, hospitalization, and\npreventive healthcare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the survey says younger Filipinos aged 18-29\nhave saved significantly less, with an average of only PhP38,000. This\ndisparity suggests that younger individuals might be less prepared to handle\nunexpected medical costs. Additionally, respondents believe they will need to\nsave approximately PhP571,000 to cover potential medical expenses over the next\n10 years, highlighting a substantial gap between current savings and future\nfinancial needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese key findings further prove that, when we talk\nabout healthcare and well-being, we must understand where knowledge and\nbehavioral gaps are coming from,\u201d Hora said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hora encourages Filipinos to take more concrete steps\ntoward embracing healthier lifestyles \u2013 from improving dietary habits to\nnurturing overall well-being. For financial priorities, Manulife can be a\ntrusted partner through its broad range of health and life protection plans to\nsecure their future and help them live better every day. By addressing both\nhealth and financial preparedness, Filipinos can build a more resilient\nfoundation for managing their healthcare need.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

According to Rahul Hora, Manulife Philippines president and chief executive officer, many young Filipinos are facing a rise in illnesses and lifestyle-related issues despite health awareness. \u201cThis gap between awareness and action implies that mere knowledge isn\u2019t sufficient. We must find solutions to these real-world barriers preventing young people from practicing healthier lifestyles.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":9320,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1810,2275],"class_list":["post-9761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsmakers","tag-insurance","tag-insurance-industry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9761","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9761"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9761\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9762,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9761\/revisions\/9762"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9320"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9761"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9761"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9761"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}