A Long Beach, California health department’s study indicates that the local Filipino community struggles with accessibility and affordability of healthy food options, according to the Press-Telegram.
The Filipino Community Health Needs Assessment surveyed 219 participants as a subset of the 20,000-strong Filipino community in Long Beach. It was originally created to understand the impact of COVID-19 on communities of color and to bridge historical gaps in the Filipino community’s lack of access to healthy food choices
The study revealed that 38% faced challenges affording nutritious meals over the past year, reported NextShark. Among them, 8% considered it a persistent issue, with an additional 5% reporting regular worries.
Expressing a need for alternatives to red meat, white rice, and fried goods, participants emphasizing the necessity for more affordable groceries, farmer’s markets, parks, and grocery stores in their neighborhoods.
“We also have heard in our listening sessions the link between not having enough access to nutritious foods and being able to make better health decisions about the food we’re eating,” shared Harold Dela Cruz, Filipino, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Health Equity coordinator to Inquire.
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The Westside area, identified for the city’s food market program, has prompted the Filipino Community Advisory Committee to create programs and policies based on the report’s results.
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