Kaʻū News Briefs Sept.1, 2024

East Hawai'i Health Clinic staff with the Go Malama slogan shared their services at the annual health fair in Pahala Saturday. Left to right are Donna Kekoa, Heather Kali'ikoa and Ben Lawler. Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe

RURAL HEALTH DISPARITIES IN HAWAI'I is the subject of last week's report from University of Hawai'i Economic Research Organization and UH Rural Health Research & Policy Center. The report concludes that "Rurality has one of the strongest associations with overall health status among sociodemographic factors. We find stronger evidence for a relationship with physical health than mentalhealth. Particularly strong rural health disparities are found for people with disabilities and people with incomes below the poverty line."
    The report's Executive Summary states that "health disparities may be driven by a variety of mechanisms. On the one hand, access to and quality of healthcare services may be lower in rural areas, but on the other hand, proximity to nature and closer-knit communities in rural areas are known to benefit health. In terms of the overall impact of rurality on health, existing research has found mixed results for the mainland US and no previous studies have been conducted specifically for Hawai‘i."    The report analyzes how health outcomes differ between rural and non-rural parts of the Hawaiian islands. The analysis is based on data from the June 2023 wave of the UHERO Rapid Survey, a twice-yearly health survey of a general population cohort in Hawai‘i. The report provides descriptive and inferential results that account for the impact of other sociodemographic factors, including age, gender, race/ethnicity, income, education and disability.
    It concludes, "We find notable disparities between rural and non-rural residents in our sample for every measure of health outcomes studied. Our findings suggest that policy responses aimed at improving health outcomes should include efforts to reduce disparities between rural and non-rural populations. In particular, our findings suggest that rural health policy should focus on marginalized population groups in rural areas, such as people with disabilities and people with low incomes living in rural areas, as they experience disproportionate adverse effects from rurality." See the entire report at https://uhero.hawaii.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/RuralHealthDisparitiesInHawaii.pdf

Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition at East Hawia'i Clinic and Ka'u Hospital's annual health fair Saturday.  Photo by David Wiegler

EAST HAWAI'I HEALTH CLINIC & KA'U HOSPITAL drew hundreds of rural residents to its second annual Community Health Fair on Saturday at Pahala Community Center. Numerous organizations were on hand to provide screenings, health education and opportunities for affordable and free physical and mental health, wellness, and nutrition services.

Selena Espejo and staff member form County of Hawai'i Parks & Recreation Elderly Activities Division. Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe

Community Children's Council of Hawai'i. Photo by Julia Neal

Allan Sebastian and Robyn Vincent of the state Department of Health's Child & Adolescent Mental Health Division.  Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe Lani Weigert of Hawai'i Care Choices, which offers Paliative, Hospice and other services. Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe

Stacy Brown from Family Support Hawai'i. Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe

Quinn Hamamoto and  Sara Kamibayashi, of Pahala and Naalehu Public Libraries, show introduce health and nutrition children's books. Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe

Hawai'i Keiki, Healthy & Ready to learn advocates Sherelle Sakado-Calvo and Jessica Moe manned the station. Photo by Kamamalu Kauwe