Well Beings Care About
Community Health
Aloha Kākou
We, the well Beings, care about community health because we live in an interdependent world where we rely on others to fulfill our needs. For example, when feeling sick, we lean on the expertise of healers, lāʻau lapaʻau (plant medicine) practitioners , and medical professionals to heal our bodies. Likewise, we depend on our regenerative local farmers to buy fresh organic healthy foods. Thus, we need each other to survive, thrive, and remain healthy. Consequently, socio-cultural aspects called the social determinants of health (SDH) play a role in our overall health.
Why Well Beings Care About Community Health
According to the World Health Organization, the social determinants of health are “the non-medical factors that influence health outcomes. They’re the conditions in which people are born, grow, work, live, and age and the wider set of forces and systems shaping the conditions of daily life.” These factors include conditions people experience throughout their lives, such as where they were born and their upbringing. It also refers to their work environment, where they live, and access to affordable health services. SDH can also include things like food security, education opportunities, social acceptance, and non-discrimination.
Research has shown that social determinants of health can account for 30-55% of a person’s overall health outcome. For example, studies have indicated that income level can impact a person’s health and likelihood of illness. And those earning lower incomes typically experience more health issues than those with higher incomes. Therefore, addressing social determinants of health is critical to improving overall health outcomes. Accordingly, with the mission to raise the tide for all people, well Beings do their best to improve the health of the whole community.
How Well Beings Care for Community Health
Well Beings care for our community by committing to a collectivistic rather than individualistic perspective. In other words, we embrace the interests of the ‘ohana (family/entire lineage)and kaiāulu (community) before self. We acknowledge and accept the many dynamic components of the community. Diversity, focusing on the needs of the overall group, and maintaining respect and care for all people and cultures is a few ways Well Beings care for the community. Also, following the traditions of our kūpuna (ancestors), we uphold our kuleana (responsibility) to the betterment of our community. How? By being of service. From volunteering at beach cleanups to feeding and praying for our homeless population, we actively care for our neighbors. We also keep lōkahi (unity and harmony) as a central goal as we address the SDH that influence the health inequities many people in our communities face every day.