Preliminary Observations from The FILLED Project (FILipino Lived Experiences during COVID-19)

Melanie D. Sabado-Liwag (), Mayra Zamora, Shenazar Esmundo, Jake Ryann Sumibcay and Patchareeya P. Kwan
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Melanie D. Sabado-Liwag: Department of Public Health, California State University, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
Mayra Zamora: Department of Public Health, California State University, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
Shenazar Esmundo: Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge, CA 91330, USA
Jake Ryann Sumibcay: Department of Public Health, California State University, Los Angeles, CA 90032, USA
Patchareeya P. Kwan: Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge, CA 91330, USA

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-17

Abstract: Health outcomes for Asian American subgroups are often aggregated, masking unique experiences and disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically among Filipino Americans (FilAms). The FILLED (Filipino Lived Experiences during COVID-19) Project launched a cross-sectional online survey between April-August 2021 among FilAm adults in Southern California to document community issues and outcomes during the pandemic. Among 223 participants, 47.5% were immigrants, 50.9% identified as essential workers, and 40.6% had a pre-existing health condition before the pandemic. Despite high rates of health insurance (93.3%), 24.4% of the sample did not have a regular health care provider. During the pandemic, 32.7% needed mental health help but did not get it and 44.2% did not know where to get such services. Most respondents felt that the COVID-19 vaccination was a personal responsibility to others (76.9%) and the majority had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (82.4%). Regarding COVID-19 impact, participants reported moderate-severe changes in their daily routines (73.5%), access to extended social support (38.9%), housing issues (15.4%), and access to medical care (11.6%). To our knowledge, this study is the first community-driven effort highlighting FilAm community experiences in Southern California, where the highest proportion of FilAms in the United States reside, specifically after the COVID-19 vaccine was made widely available. The observational findings may help community leaders, policy makers, and public health researchers in the design, development, and implementation of post-pandemic intervention strategies used by community-partnered projects that address FilAm and sub-Asian group health disparities at grassroots to societal levels.

Keywords: Filipino American; FilAm; COVID-19; health disparities; Asian American; barriers; mental health; culture; healthcare workers; essential workers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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