2003 Palau Community Assessment

1
2003 Palau Community Assessment

• Final Report
• Version 1.4 June 6, 2005

2
Family Profile Household Assessments
3
Number of Households Surveyed

• The total number of households surveyed in the
  Community Assessment was 5,503. See Table 1 for
  a breakdown of numbers of households surveyed
  broken down by State.
• There were a total of 15,177 persons (10,990
  adults and 4,187 children) surveyed from these
  5,503 households.
• The 2000 US Census reported that the population
  of Palau in 2000 was 19,129.
• Please note There were many non-respondents
  on some of the assessment questions, therefore
  totals may not always match the number of
  total persons or households surveyed.

4
Family History of Chronic Illnesses
The question was asked to each head of household
Is there a history of chronic illnesses, mental
or physical in your family in Palau or Abroad,
living or deceased?. 61 reported they have a
family history of chronic illness based on this
question.
5
How Many People in the Household have Jobs that
Pay Money?
The majority (72.1) of households have either
one (1) or two (2) people with paying jobs.
6
Household Income
Of the 4,375 households responding in the survey
for this question, 58.4 (2,554) have a household
income of less than 10,000 per year. Only 4.8
(212) of all reporting households had an income
of more than 40,000 per year.
7
Household Other Appliances/Items
Households were asked if they have various
household and other appliances /items. Most
households (75 - 91) had the following TV Sto
ve Car Radio Refrigerator Phone Most
households (75 - 84) did not have Boat Dryer
8
In general, do family members have trouble
getting health care?
67.7 of reporting households said they did not
have trouble accessing healthcare.

• Top Reasons cited for trouble with getting
  healthcare
• Financial
• Transportation
• Language

9
Domestic Helpers
Of the 4,376 households responding for the
questions regarding domestic help, only 12.8
(560) of households reported having a domestic
helper while the majority, 87.2 (3,816), said
they do not have a domestic helper. The
breakdown of responses regarding type of work for
DH is shown below in the chart.
10
Home Ownership
Each Head of Household was asked whether they own
or rent their home. The majority (77.8) of
respondents said they own their home.
11
Cooking and Showering Areas
Each household was assessed for plumbing
facilities for the cooking area, shower facility
and toilet facility. The majority of the
population have cooking facilities (91) and
showering areas (69.1) located indoors.
Showering
Cooking
12
Toilet Facilities Type
Of the 4,376 households responding, the top three
toilet facility types for households are the
Outhouse (41.5), Flush-Inside (34.6) and the
Pit (20.3).
13
Animals In Around the House
Each Household was asked about the types of
animals residing in and around their home. Dogs
were the most prominent type of animal found with
55.5 of households reporting their presence.
14
Source of Water for Households
The most common source of drinking water is from
a water catchment tank (63.6). However, public
water and bottled water are also a major source
of drinking water for 22 and 23.4 of
households, respectively. The primary source of
cooking water is from the public water system
(86.1). The primary source of bathing water is
from the public water system (93.8).
15
Sanitary Conditions of Households
The top three problem sanitary conditions in
households were found to be 1 Mosquito Breeding
Sites, 2 Rat Breeding Sites, and 3 Trash in
Yard.
16
Top Household Sanitation Problems by (Koror)
Hamlet
In Koror, Eang ranked 1 for highest percentage
of homes with the top three overall Sanitary
Problems (mosquito breeding sites, rat breeding
sites, trash in yard). The top three sanitation
problems are listed below with the top three
hamlets in each category.
17
Top Household Sanitation Problems by State
Overall by State, Melekeok had the highest
percentage of households with mosquito breeding
sites. Angaur was 1 for highest percentage of
households with rat breeding sites. Sonsorol was
1 for highest percentage of households with
trash in the yard.
18
Type of House
During the household survey, the construction of
each house was assessed. According to the data,
about ½ of houses are constructed of concrete,
and about ½ of the houses are constructed of wood.
19
Dangerous Places in your Hamlet
The most commonly occurring dangerous places in
your hamlet were 1 Place where someone could
get hurt (scrap metal or rusting junk), 2
Places where people get hit by cars, 3 Places
where someone could drown.
20
Dangers in the Household
The most commonly types of danger in households
were 1 Electrical Outlets 2 Poisons, and 3
Falling Hazards.
21
Individuals Age 15 and Up Adult Assessments
22
Total Number of Persons Surveyed
There were a total of 15,177 persons (10,990
adults and 4,187 children) surveyed from 5,503
households. The 2000 US Census reported that the
population of Palau in 2000 was 19,129.
23
Number of Individuals (TOTAL- ALL AGES) Surveyed
by State
24
Citizenship of Respondents
There were 8,358 persons (76.2) of the total
10,965 adult (15) respondents who reported their
citizenship as Palauan. There were 2,607 (23.8)
that reported they were non-Palauan.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
25
Marital Status Gender of Adult Respondents (15
years)
Approximately ½ of adult respondents were males,
½ females. The majority of adults (54.5) were
reported as married, followed by single,
including separated/divorced (36.9).
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
26
Age of Individual Respondents Adults Children
Number of Persons
Age Category
27
Educational Level of Adults 18 and Older
This chart depicts the education level of
respondents ages 18 and over. Of the total
respondents (n8,987) ages 18 and older, 69.1
(6,212 persons) reported their educational level
as High School diploma or less. 20.4 (1,831
persons) had a 9th grade or lower education. Only
3 (265 persons) had a Bachelors or higher
college degree. Of these 265 persons, 202 (76)
were Palauan.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
28
Religion
According to the data, the majority of
respondents were Catholic (79).
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
29
Womens Health Pap Test
The data reports that 44.8 of women ages 21 and
over had not had a Pap test in the previous 2
years. 1,764 women were referred to the MOH
Cancer Program as a result of this question.

Table 34. For females 21 years of age or older
Have you had a Pap smear in the past 2 years?
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
30
Womens Health Mammogram
The data reports that 42.1 of women ages 50 and
over had not had a mammogram in the previous 2
years. 497 women were referred to the MOH Cancer
Program as a result of this question.

Table 34. For females 50 years of age or older
Have you had a Mammogram in the past 2 years?
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
31
Chronic Illnesses Receiving Care
There were 2,209 (24.2) respondents ages 15 and
over reporting a chronic illness. Of those, 301
reported that they were not receiving care for
their condition. These 301 persons were referred
to Public Health for follow-up.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
32
Top Ten Reported Adult Chronic Illnesses
According to the Community Assessment, the
following conditions were reported as the top 10
most commonly occurring adult chronic illnesses
in Palau. These 10 conditions accounted for a
total of 84.7 of chronic illnesses reported.
Number of Persons Affected
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
33
Medication/Medicine Use
Persons
There are a reported 21.8 of respondents taking
prescription meds
There are a reported 3.5 of respondents taking
traditional medicine
There are a reported 5.1 of respondents taking
over-the-counter meds
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
34
General Health at Time of Assessment (ages 15)
This question was filled out by the assessment
surveyor. 6.3 (694) of respondents were
considered to appear unhealthy.
Have you had a cough for two weeks or more? 6.8
(747) of respondents answered yes. There were
747 adults referred to MOH Public Health for TB
testing as a result of this question.
Do you have any allergies to food or medicine?
12.7 (1,395) of respondents reporting that they
had allergies of some type.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
35
Have you ever been told you have Diabetes?
Of the persons reported as having ever been told
they have diabetes (667), a greater percentage of
them were women (57.7) as opposed to men (42.3).
36
If female, are you pregnant? Queried by women
ages 15 - 55
3 of the women 15-55 years old were pregnant at
the time of this assessment. Approximately 24
were non-Palauans.
37
Skin Lesion Screening Adults and Children
Each individual was checked for skin lesions.
Those lesions that were found were assessed for
suspicion for leprosy. There were a total of 34
adults (ages 15) and 4 children (ages 0-14) who
were referred to MOH Public Health for leprosy
screening.
ADULTS (15)
CHILDREN (0-14)
38
Betel Nut Use
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
39
If you chew betel nut, do you chew daily?
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
40
Age at Beginning to Chew Betel Nut
Question How old were you when you first started
chewing betel nut for the first time? 43.7 were
reportedly 14 years old or younger when they
started chewing.
Persons
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
41
Number of Betel Nuts Chewed per Day
On average, how many full betel nuts do you chew
in a day?
According to the data, 64.3 of respondents chew
10 or more full betel nuts a day. 42 chew 15 or
more. 26.2 chew 20 or more full betel nuts per
day.
betel nuts/day
Persons
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
42
Do you use tobacco/cigarettes with your chew?
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
43
If yes, how old were you when you first started
to add tobacco with your chew?
42.3 of respondents were 14 years old or younger
when they started adding tobacco with their betel
nut.
Years of Age
Persons
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
44
On average, how much tobacco do you use on a
daily basis with your chew?
43.8 (1832 persons) use 6 or more cigarette
sticks or 11 or more pinches of smokeless tobacco
with their betel nut chew per day.
Persons
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
45
Do you chew tobacco/cigarettes (either with
Betel Nut or Alone)?
NCD Steps Question
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
46
Do you currently smoke any tobacco, such as
cigarettes, cigars, or pipes?
Of the reported smokers, approximately 64 of
them were Palauan.
NCD Steps Question
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
47
If yes (smoke), do you currently smoke tobacco
products daily?
48
How old were you when you first started smoking
daily?
According to respondents, 33 of daily smokers
started when they were age 19 years or younger.
Years of Age
Persons
49
Have you ever consumed a drink that contains
alcohol, such as beer, wine, tuba or whiskey?
50
If yes (ever consumed), was this within the past
12 months?
51
If yes, in the past 12 months how frequently have
you had at least one alcohol drink?
24.4 of respondents who have had alcohol in the
past 12 months reported their frequency of
drinking was one or more days per week.
52
When you drink alcohol, on average, how many
standard drinks do you have during one day?
20.8 of respondents reportedly drink 15 or more
drinks during a day when they drink. 30.9 have
5 to 9 drinks and 48.2 have 1 to 4 drinks per
day when they drink.
Persons
53
When you drink alcohol, on average, how many
standard drinks do you have during one day?
Stratified by Gender
This chart illustrates that men drink
significantly more drinks per day than women when
they drink. Notably, of those people drinking 15
drinks per day or more, 89.8 were men.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
54
In a typical week, how many days do you eat
fruit?In a typical week, how many days to you
eat vegetables?
50 of respondents eat fruit only one or two days
per week, whereas about half the number of
respondents, 24, said they eat vegetables only
one or two days per week. 19 of respondents
said they eat fruit 7 days a week, however, 35.4
said they eat vegetables 7 days a week. In
summary, people are eating vegetables more often
than fruit.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
55
How many servings of fruit do you eat on one of
those days (when you eat fruit)?How many
servings of vegetables do you eat on one of those
days (when you eat vegetables)?
The majority of respondents (60.8) reported
eating only one serving of fruit per day. 44.1
of respondents reportedly eat one serving of
vegetables per day. 37 of respondents eat 2 3
servings of fruit per day compared to 54 eating
2-3 servings of vegetables per day. In summary,
people are generally eating more vegetables per
day than fruit.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
56
Does your work involve mostly sitting or
standing, with walking for no more than 10
minutes at a time?
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
57
Does your work involve vigorous activity, like
heavy lifting, digging, or construction work for
at least 10 minutes at a time?
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
58
In a typical week, how many days do you do
vigorous activities as part of your work?
Of those respondents doing vigorous work
activities, 40.1 reported they performed them
5-6 days per week.
Persons
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
59
Does your work involve moderate-intensity
activity, such as brisk walking or carrying light
loads for at least 10 minutes at a time?
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
60
In a typical week, how many days do you do
moderate-intensity activities as part of your
work?
Of those respondents doing vigorous work
activities, 40.1 reported they performed them
5-6 days per week.
Persons
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
61
Vigorous vs. Moderate-Intensity work activities
of days per week by persons performing work
Persons
There are more respondents reportedly doing work
related moderate-intensity activities than there
are vigorous work related activities.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
62
How long is a typical workday?
For 47.5 of respondents, 8 hours is the length
of the typical workday. This was the most
prevalent response.
Persons
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
63
Do you walk or use a bicycle for at least 10
minutes continuously to get to and from places?
In a typical week, how many days do you walk or
bicycle for at least 10 minutes to get to and
from places?
53 (4,676 persons) of respondents reported that
they walk or bicycle for at least 10 minutes.
Approximately 30 of those respondents said they
do this 7 days per week.
Persons
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
64
Does your leisure time involve mostly sitting,
resting, or standing with no physical activity
lasting more than 10 minutes at a time?
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
65
In your leisure time, do you do any vigorous
activities like running, strenuous sports, or
weight lifting, etc?
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
66
If yes (leisure time vigorous activities), in a
typical week, on how many days do you do vigorous
activities as part of your leisure time?
Only 33.5 of respondents who include vigorous
activities in their leisure time do them 5 or
more days per week.
Persons
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
67
The question was asked (of Palauans ages 15)
Which of the following (if any) do you think
are very important problems in your hamlet that
need immediate action right now?Respondents
were asked to pick as many or as few as necessary
and to number them in order of priority.Categorie
s included
Alcohol Suicides Child abuse and neglect Elderly
abuse and neglect Violence against women Tobacco
use by teens and children Marijuana Ice
(methamphetamines)
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
68
Top Perceived Community Problems
According to the data, Alcohol was the 1
perceived problem. Elder abuse was ranked last.
For example, 52 of respondents said that Alcohol
was a problem, regardless of its priority and
ranking among the other issues, 43 said
marijuana was a problem, etc.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
69
Alcohol Is it a very important problem in your
hamlet that needs immediate attention?

• 52.1 of respondents said YES in any order of
  priority
• 32.1 said it was the 1 priority
• 47.9 said it was no problem

From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
70
Marijuana Is it a very important problem in your
hamlet that needs immediate attention?

• 42.5 of respondents said YES in any order of
  priority
• 10.1 said it was the 1 priority
• 57.5 said it was no problem

From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
71
Tobacco Use by Teens Children Is it a very
important problem in your hamlet that needs
immediate attention?

• 41.1 of respondents said YES in any order of
  priority
• 10.9 said it was the 1 priority
• 58.9 said it was no problem

From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
72
Ice Is it a very important problem in your
hamlet that needs immediate attention?

• 19 of respondents said YES in any order of
  priority
• 5.7 said it was the 1 priority
• 81 said it was no problem

From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
73
Child Abuse Neglect Is it a very important
problem in your hamlet that needs immediate
attention?

• 13.8 of respondents said YES in any order of
  priority
• 1.4 said it was the 1 priority
• 86.2 said it was no problem

From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
74
Violence Against Women Is it a very important
problem in your hamlet that needs immediate
attention?

• 12.1 of respondents said YES in any order of
  priority
• 0.4 said it was the 1 priority
• 87.9 said it was no problem

From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
75
Suicides Is it a very important problem in your
hamlet that needs immediate attention?

• 9.9 of respondents said YES in any order of
  priority
• 0.4 said it was the 1 priority
• 90.1 said it was no problem

From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
76
Elderly Abuse Neglect Is it a very important
problem in your hamlet that needs immediate
attention?

• 9.6 of respondents said YES in any order of
  priority
• 0.2 said it was the 1 priority
• 90.4 said it was no problem

From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
77
Do traditional leaders in your hamlet help to
solve these problems?
Approximately 48 of respondents said that
traditional leaders do not help to solve
problems. 20 Said they do help. Another 32
responded as dont know.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
78
Do you think the traditional leaders in your
hamlet should help to solve these problems?
57 of respondents said that traditional leaders
should help to solve problems. 15.9 said they
should not help. Another 27.1 responded as
dont know.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
79
Which Animal Control Policies (if any) do you
favor?

• Eliminating pigs from Hamlets
• Require dog tags and eliminate stray dogs
• None

From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
80
Eliminating Pigs from Hamlets?
Most people were not in favor of eliminating pigs
from hamlets. 81.2 of respondents answered no.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
81
Require Dog Tags and Eliminate Stray Dogs?
Most people were in favor of requiring dog tags
and eliminating stray dogs. 88.3 of respondents
answered yes.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
82
None In favor of NO Animal Control Policies?
Most people were not in favor of having NO animal
control policies.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
83
For the control of ALCOHOL, which of the
following (if any) do you favor?Asked only of
Palauans ages 15 and older

• Increase tax on alcohol
• Restriction on advertising sponsorship
• Enforce laws against public drinking
• Roadblocks for drunk driving
• Revoke licenses for DUI
• No Restrictions

84
Do you favor an Increased Tax on Alcohol?N6,123
N3,764
N2,359
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
85
Do you favor a Restriction on Alcohol Advertising
and Sponsorship?N6,871
N5,526
N1,345
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
86
Do you favor Enforcing Laws Against Public
Drinking? N6,871
N3,762
N3,109
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
87
Do you favor Roadblocks for Drunk Driving?
N6,871
N4,731
N2,140
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
88
Do you favor to Revoke Licenses for DUI? N6,871
N3,515
N3,356
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
89
Do you favor No Alcohol Restrictions? N6,871
N6,660
N211
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
90
Most Favored Alcohol Control Policies
Enforce Public Drinking Laws was the most
favored alcohol control policy with 54.6 of
respondents in favor. Restriction on
Ads/Sponsorship was the least favored policy
with 19.6 in favor. Very few people (3.1) were
in favor of having NO restrictions or alcohol
control policies.
54.8
51.2
38.5
31.1
19.6
3.1
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
91
For the control of TOBACCO, which of the
following (if any) do you favor? Asked of
Palauans Only Ages 15

• Increase tax on tobacco
• Restriction on advertising sponsorship
• Eliminate smoking indoors in public places
• No Restrictions

92
Do you favor an Increased Tax on Tobacco?N6,872
N4,243
N2,629
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
93
Do you favor a Restriction on Advertising and
Sponsorship for Tobacco?N6,871
N5,392
N1,479
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
94
Do you favor Eliminating Smoking Indoors and in
Public Places?N6,871
N4,405
N2,466
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
95
Do you favor No Tobacco Restrictions? N6,871
N6,558
N313
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
96
Most Favored Tobacco Control Policies
64.1
38.3
21.5
4.6
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
97
TEENAGE PREGNANCY IS A PROBLEM IN PALAU. SCHOOLS
MAY HELP ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. WHICH OF THE
FOLLOWING (IF ANY) DO YOU FAVOR IN ORDER TO
CONTROL IT? Asked of Palauans Only Ages 15

• Sex education in schools
• Abstinence only education (Teach teens not to
  have sex. Dont each them about birth control).
• Offer birth control in the schools

98
Do you favor Sex Education in Schools?N 6,123
N3,831
N2,292
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
99
Do you favor Abstinence Only Education in
Schools?N 6,123
N4,629
N1,494
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
100
Do you favor Offering Birth Control in
Schools?N 6,123
N3,525
N2,598
From the Community Assessment Adult Data
Palauans Only - Ages 15
101
During the last 30 days, about how often did you
feel so sad or down that nothing could cheer you
up?
Behavioral Health Questions
persons
Taking into account that there were 3.2 more
female than male respondents, women notably
reported more depression than males Most, Some,
and Little of the Time. However, when it came
to Never, males made up the majority of
responses with 54.7 compared to females.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
102
During the last 30 days, how often did you feel
hopeless?
Behavioral Health Questions
persons
Here again, women reported hopelessness more than
men Most, Some, and Little of the Time. When
it came to Never, males made up the majority of
responses with 51.3 compared to females.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
103
During the last 30 days, about how often did you
feel restless or fidgety?
Behavioral Health Questions
persons
Again, women seemed to report restlessness more
often than men Most, Some, and Little of the
Time. When it came to Never, males made up
the majority of responses with 51.9 compared to
females.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
104
During the last 30 days, about how often did you
feel that everything was an effort?
Behavioral Health Questions
persons
There were 39.3 of the total (males and females)
who reported that everything was an effort most
or some of the time. Never was only reported
by 35 of the respondents. There were notable
differences between the genders for some and
little of the time as well as never.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
105
During the last 30 days, about how often did you
feel worthless?
Behavioral Health Questions
persons
Never was the reported answer by the vast
majority (72.7) of respondents. There were
notable gender differences in each of the
categories, even after taking into account the
greater number of female respondents.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
106
During the last 30 days, about how often did you
feel nervous?
Behavioral Health Questions
persons
Women continue to be the majority of respondents
for most, some, and little of the time.
However, never was reported by the vast
majority (72.7) of total respondents. As in the
other behavioral health questions, there were
significantly more male respondents for the
never category.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
107
During the last year, have you ever planned to
end your own life?
Behavioral Health Questions
persons
There were 303 persons (3.5 of respondents) who
said they had planned to end their own life in
the past year. Taking into account that there
were 3.2 more female respondents for this
question, females still had a notably higher
response rate for yes.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
108
Have you ever been told by a health professional
that you have a mental disorder?
Behavioral Health Questions
There were 118 persons (1.4 of respondents who
said they had ever been told by a health
professional they have a mental disorder.
Significantly more of these people answering
yes were men (13.8 more men when taking into
account the 3.2 higher female response rate).
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
109
Have any of your parents, siblings or children
ever had a mental disorder?
Behavioral Health Questions
There were 825 persons (9.5 of respondents
reporting that they had an immediate family
member who had ever had a mental disorder. There
were no notable gender differences.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
110
During the last 30 days, how much help and advice
did you get from people?
Behavioral Health Questions
Given the overall response rate of females vs.
males, there are notable differences in gender
response for the categories not at all and
quite a bit. Not at all had notably more
male respondents and quite a bit had more
female respondents.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
111
During the last 30 days, how much comfort and
understanding did you get from someone?
Behavioral Health Questions
Given the overall response rate of females vs.
males, there are notable differences in gender
response for the categories not at all, quite
a bit, and a lot. Not at all had notably
more male respondents and quite a bit and a
lot had more female respondents. Conclusion
Females report that they get more comfort and
understanding from others as opposed to males.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
112
How many people do you have near you that you can
readily count on for real help in times of
trouble or difficulty, such as to watch over
children or pets, to bring you to hospital or a
store, or help when you are ill?
Behavioral Health Questions
There were 23.4 of respondents who said they had
no one they could count on.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
113
Behavioral Health Questions
During the last 30 days, how much did you join in
the family activities, such as eating together,
talking with family members, visiting family
members, working together?
Given the overall response rate of females vs.
males, there are notable differences in gender
response for the categories not at all, a
little bit, quite a bit, and a lot. Not at
all and a little bit had notably more male
respondents and quite a bit and a lot had
more female respondents. Conclusion Females
report that they join more in family activities
as opposed to males.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
114
Behavioral Health Questions
During the last 30 days, how much did you join in
community activities, such as festivities,
religious activities, talking with community
members, working together?
There were 46 of respondents who said they join
in community activities a lot or quite a bit.
There were no notable differences in responses
between the genders.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
115
Behavioral Health Questions
During the last 30 days, how much did you try to
find comfort in your religion or spiritual or
personal beliefs?
There were remarkable differences in the gender
responses with this question. Men answered not
at all and a little bit more frequently and
women answered quite a bit and a lot much
more frequently than men.
From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
116
Respondents were asked During the last year, did
you experience any of the following events in
your life?

• Armed conflict, terrorism, natural or
  technological disaster (WAR)
• Death of a child, sibling, partner or parent
  (DEATH/SPOUSE/CHILD)
• Serious illness/injury of a child, sibling,
  partner or parent (ILLNESS)
• Death or serious illness/injury of (another)
  close relative or close friend
  (DEATH OF A FRIEND)
• Divorce or marital separation (excluding death)
  (DIVORCE)
• Detention in jail (JAIL)
• Hospitalization (HOSPITALIZATION)
• Substantial loss of wealth or income, or loss of
  job or partners job (JOB LOSS)
• Major financial difficulties or extreme poverty
  (POVERTY)
• Any other major stressful life event? (OTHER)

117
Events experienced in the past year by percentage
of yes responses.
Behavioral Health Questions
Death of a friend was the most experienced event
with 32.5 reporting they have experienced it.
Divorce was the least experience event with 4.9
reporting yes persons.


From the Community Assessment Adult Data Ages 15
118
Individuals Ages 14 and Under Child Assessments

• Answered by Parent or Guardian of Child

119
Child Citizenship
3,656 persons (93.4) of the total 3,913 Children
(14 and younger) were reported as Palauan
citizens. There were 257 (6.6) that reportedly
were non-Palauan. Comparison Adults had a
percentage of 76 Palauan vs. 23.8 non-Palauan
respondents.
120
Number of Children Surveyed by State
121
Number of Children Surveyed by (Koror) Hamlet
122
Does Child Go to School?Ages 6 and Older
96.6 of children ages 6 years and older
reportedly were attending school. There were 86
children (3.4) who were not attending. Of these
86 children not attending school, 43 were 6 years
old, 9 were 7 years old, and 34 were 8 years old
or older.
123
Does the Child Use Tobacco Regularly?
There are a reported 286 children who use tobacco
on a regular basis. These are as reported by the
parent or guardian, not self-reported by the
child. As a result, this number may actually be
higher than reported.
124
Regular Tobacco Use By Age
Of the tobacco users, 89.2 were ages 10 14.
9.2 were ages 7-9 years old. There were 1.8,
or 5 children, reported as users who were 1-6
years of age.
125
Does the Child Use Betel Nut Regularly?
There are a reported 352 children who use betel
nut on a regular basis. These are as reported by
the parent or guardian, not self-reported by the
child. As a result, this number may actually be
higher than reported.
126
Regular Betel Nut Use By Age
Of the betel nut users, 84.9 were ages 10 14.
12.3 were ages 7-9 years old. There were
another 2.9, or 10 children, reported as users
who were 4-6 years of age. There were no
reported users under the age of 4 years.
127
Does the Child Use Alcohol Regularly?
There are a reported 15 children who use alcohol
on a regular basis. These are as reported by the
parent or guardian, not self-reported by the
child. As a result, this number may actually be
higher than reported.
128
Regular Alcohol Use By Age
Of the alcohol users, 73.4 were ages 10 14.
The other 26.7 were ages 7-9 years old. There
were no reported users under the age of 7 years.
129
Immunization Status
Of the 3,799 child respondents to this question,
93.6 were up-to-date on their immunizations.
130
Does child have any chronic illness, including
mental or physical disabilities?
There were a reported 280 children, or 7.4 of
child respondents, with a chronic illness,
including mental or physical disabilities.
131
Chronic Illnesses Receiving Care
There were 280 children who were reported as
having a chronic illness. Of those, 42 (18.1)
were reportedly not receiving regular medical
care for their condition. There were another 48
children of whom it was unknown whether or not
they were receiving care for said condition. The
42 children not receiving care were referred to
Public Health for follow-up.
132
Top Three Reported Child Chronic Illnesses
According to the Community Assessment, the
following conditions were reported as the top 3
most commonly occurring chronic illnesses for
children in Palau. These 3 conditions accounted
for a total of 56 of chronic illnesses reported
in children. There were 99 cases (35.4) of
which the illness type was unknown or not
reported.
Number of Children Affected
133
Child Medication/Medicine Use
Persons
There are a reported 10.7 of children taking
prescription meds
(as opposed to 21.8 of adults taking
prescription meds)
There are a reported 0.7 of children taking
traditional medicine
(as opposed to 3.5 of adults taking traditional
medicine)
There are a reported 5.3 of children taking
over-the-counter meds
(as opposed to 5.1 of adults taking
over-the-counter meds)
134
General Child Health at Time of Assessment
This question was filled out by the assessment
surveyor. 2.4 (90) of children were considered
to appear unhealthy.
Have you had a cough for two weeks or more?
5.4 (203) of children were reported as yes.
Do you have any allergies to food or medicine?
8.4 (313) of children were reported as having
allergies of some type.
135
Skin Lesion Screening Children
Each individual was checked for skin lesions.
Those lesions that were found were assessed for
suspicion for leprosy. There were a total of 4
children who were referred to MOH Public Health
for leprosy screening.
136
Final Report Prepared by

• Julie A. Erb-Alvarez, MPH
• Epidemiologist
• Bureau of Public Health
• Republic of Palau Ministry of Health
• Version 1.4 June 6, 2005