Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, 1 March 1983 — HE MAU NINAU OLA [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

HE MAU NINAU OLA

Questions About Health

by Kekuni Blaisdell, M.D.

This fourth eolumn of He Mau Ninau Ola, like the previous ones, continues to respond to ninau ola from our readers whom we mahalo hou for your interest. We begin this time by completing the answer to an earlier reader's ninau that was left out because of laek of space in the February issue of Ka Wai Ola O OHA. l.Q: What is the Native Hawaiians Study Commission doing about the heahh of us Hawaiians? A: The Native Hawaiians Study Commission was created by the 1980 U.S. Congress to "conduct a study of the culture, needs and concerns of the Native Hawaiians." The Commission's report is to be presented to the Congress June 23. 1983. The final form of the Heahh Section of the report has not yet been made public. However, the March 1983 drafts concluded that, in spite of incomplete data. Hawaiians appear to have: - The shortest life expectancy, an average of 67 years, compared to 74 years for all races in the State. - The highest mortality rates of the four leading "causes of death" — heart diseases, cancer, accidents and stroke. - The highest suicide rate. - The highest infant death rate. - The greatest prevalences of coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney failure, mental retardation, club foot, teenage pregnancies, and dental caries. - Inadequate medical care. - Meagre representation among health professionals. The reasons for this unwholesome heakh profile are muhiple and complex. However, life style factors appear

to dominate over genetic and environmental causes, as described above for high blood pressure. That is, most of the serious ailments that seem to affect us po'e Hawai'i more than the other ethnic groups are, to some degree, preventable and or controllable by our own individual attitudes and behavior. More about these below and in future columns. The Commission's report, still in draft form, as revealed by Chairperson Kina'u Boyd Kamali'i incurrent meetings on the major islands, recommends "immediate action . . . that these [heakh] needs be addressed promptly" by the following in this order: - Private groups, such as Alu Like and the Hawaiian Civic Clubs. - Loeal government. - State government agencies, such as OHA and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. - Federal government programs. With the current uncertain economy, it seems unlikely than any special additional funds will be forthcoming from any of these bodies for Hawaiian heakh programs. It seems to me that firstly the Hawaiian and general island community needs to become fully aware of the serious magnitude of the heahh needs of po'e Hawai'i in our homeland and of their mukiple causes. Virtually no publicity has been given to this plight in island daily newspapers, or by radio and television, or in our schools. Secondly, OHA should assume responsibility for systematic collection and analysis of heakh data on po'e Hawai'i, now so inadequate, so that we ean wisely plan and implement specific heakh programs, with current resources, without waiting for Congressional or other governmental initiative. Thirdly, a 11 po'e Hawai'i need to participate in

assessments and planning of programs beginning with heakh education within our families, such as suggested above concerning high blood pressure. There are pono Hawaiian heakh values. In future columns we will focus on specific life style factors as related to particular illnesses, other medical concepts and practices of old Hawai'i, and, of course, your ninau ola.