How do Asians view their health outlook especially in the time of COVID-19? This pandemic definitely affected public health and has changed how people deal with their health concerns. Very apparent in the past year was the turn to technology. Teleconsulting became a necessity for many who, for various reasons, could not physically see their doctors or go to hospitals.
It was in this environment that the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), was commissioned by Prudential Corporation Asia, Pru Life UK’s regional headquarters, to conduct a survey of 5,000 people across 13 countries and territories in Southeast Asia during the second half of 2020.
Study Summaries
There are 5 main findings of the research:
- Ample information does not necessarily lead to good health decisions.
The results show that people across the region have no shortage of personal health information available to them, although the quality of the information varies.
– Social media is the most frequently used source.
– Information from national governments and public health authorities is considered the most useful.
– 53% say that the volume of information available is so overwhelming that they do not know what to focus on.
- Respondents are seeking more control over their physical as well as mental health.
– 52% have taken measures to improve their personal health by doing more physical exercise and changing their eating habits
– 24% have taken steps to improve their mental health, at a time when more than 1 in 3 are suffering from greater stress, anxiety, or depression
- Income levels do not dictate health and wellness optimism.
– Less developed markets are the most positive about the state of their personal health and its near-term outlook
– These countries are also more optimistic about their ability to manage their health and wellness
– In contrast, markets such as Hong Kong and Singapore are the least optimistic about their future health and wellness
- Low affordability limits people’s scope of action to live more healthily.
– 56% of respondents are prevented from taking action to improve their health and wellness due to financial constraints
– 22% are able to easily access exercise and fitness facilities
- Digital health technologies are popular but need to work harder for citizens.
– Penetration of wearable health devices (at 22% of internet users) is higher in the Asia-Pacific than in any other region of the world
– Four out of five respondents already use some form of personal health technology
– We are far from realizing the full potential of these technologies – their value could be amplified if they were connected to centralized data banks, such as patient health records
The Philippines ranks fourth (just behind India, Vietnam, and Indonesia) among 13 Asian markets in overall health perception, with more than half of Filipinos (57%) being optimistic about their health.
Philippine-Centric Findings
More specific to the Philippines, here is what the study revealed:
Half of the Filipino respondents (50%) agree that the amount of information available about health and wellness is overwhelming. Despite this, Filipinos cite social media (71%), health advice sites (71%), and doctors (64%) as their three most useful information sources. They also refer to the national government and public health (63%) as another source. For digital technologies, it may not come as a surprise that 79% of Filipinos currently use personal health technologies like smartwatches, fitness trackers, and digital health platforms. Meanwhile, nearly three in 10 respondents (29%) find digital health technologies too expensive. Filipinos also topped the ASEAN region as patients who prefer in-person
consultations (36%).
The Pulse of Asia report also determined Filipinos’ attitudes towards physical and mental health which constitute a person’s wellbeing. Only 34% of Filipinos – the second highest in Asia – have taken measures in the past three months to improve their emotional wellbeing and mental health. This, after reporting that they were depressed and anxious (40%) and that they experienced elevated stress, anxiety, and depression as a result of COVID-19 (42%).
Study’s Recommendations
The report made several recommendations as well:
- Greater public-private collaboration where governments partner with private companies to deliver digitally innovative ways to promote and manage health and wellness among citizens.
- For governments – improve public health information through digital channels.
- For governments to look to promote connected health devices and these need to be underpinned by strict data governance. Data security will enable health data to be safely centralized, empowering governments to design better policies and build more targeted healthcare infrastructure.
Clearly, the study highlights the challenges still facing Filipinos (and people in Asia) but it is good to know that there are digital technology that can still address these.
You may download the entire report through this link: https://pulseofasia.economist.com/the-health-of-asia-barometer/.