The Health department on Oct. 12 will launch the second phase of the non-communicable diseases or NCD Mobile Phone Survey after its launching in May by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement, the department said the project aims to encourage the public to take part in the survey on how Filipinos are keeping themselves healthy.
According to the World Health Organization-Western Pacific Regional Office, a significant proportion of Filipino adults continue to be exposed to the NCD risks of tobacco and alcohol use, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. This makes millions of Filipinos vulnerable in developing NCDs in the future. In the Philippines, NCDs are the top causes of death.
The survey, written in both Filipino and English, can be done in two steps using a mobile phone: 1) via SMS or text, free for all mobile phone subscribers; or 2) via mobile web, where a link to a web form will be sent to all subscribers. To avoid any data charges, please ensure that the device is connected to wifi.
In compliance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012, all personal information of the respondents/mobile subscribers will not be disclosed to third parties, and non-identifying information will be secured. Responses will be anonymous and confidential. Consent will be asked from all participants and personal information will be removed before the data is stored for analysis.
The first phase of the survey was conducted in June and July 2018. A total of 3,679 individuals completed or partially completed the 2018 survey using either short message service or mobile web. The results from the 2018 first phase survey include:
â— Almost a fifth reported being current tobacco users, and approximately one-tenth (11.5%) reported being daily tobacco users. Men were more likely to report current or daily tobacco smoking compared to women.
â— Overall, 36.3% reported current alcohol consumption, of whom a third reported heavy episodic drinking (33.5%). Men were more likely to drink alcohol and were reported to be heavy episodic drinkers than women.
â— A large percentage (91.6%) reported consuming less than five servings of fruits or vegetables per day.
â— Almost two thirds, 61.9%, reported always or often adding a form of salt as they prepared a meal.
From this 2018 mobile survey, it is apparent that many Filipinos are still engaging in behavioral risk factors like tobacco and alcohol use and eating unhealthy foods that may lead to illnesses like hypertension, diabetes, asthma and cancer, which are collectively known as NCDs. The Health department is aware of this issue and has been developing and implementing interventions and strategies to address it, such as:
â— Implementation of the laws on increased excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol to control their affordability and eventually decrease the consumption of these products
â— Graphic Health warning signs to instill health consciousness on the harmful effects of tobacco use and 100% smoke-free environments in public and enclosed places
â— The Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act, the first package of the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program that includes increasing the excise tax on sweetened beverages and aims to reduce the consumption of sweetened beverages, and hence contribute to the prevention and control of obesity, diabetes and other NCDs
â— “Pinggang Pinoy” (Healthy Food Plate), which is intended to complement and supplement the Daily Nutritional Guide Pyramid on a per meal basis
â— Dissemination of advocacy and health promotion materials that focus on eating healthy, avoiding tobacco use and alcohol consumption and doing physical activity.