Young generations' health concerns

SALARIES, benefits and job stability are workplace issues that rank high among Filipino workers in general. However, it appears that health and well-being are becoming the most important issue among younger generations.

This conclusion comes from surveys commissioned by Philcare (HMO) and conducted by Dr. Fernando de la Cruz Paragas in 2023 among Gen Zers and in 2024 among Gen Xers and Gen Yers. On separate occasions, Dr. Paragas presented the results of the two surveys at the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. (AmCham).

Dr. Paragas is the dean of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication (UP CMC) and a professor at its Department of Communication Research. He presented the results of his survey on the concerns and preferences for health and well-being among Generations X, Y and Z.

The respondents

In the 2024 survey, 800 Gen Xers (ages 43 to 58) and Gen Yers or Millennials (ages 27 to 42) participated, while 400 Gen Zers (ages 16 to 26) joined the 2023 survey. I noted that there is comparability between the 2023 and 2024 survey data, as the items, sections and rating system are consistent in both surveys.

There are also some glaring differences between the cohorts in the survey. In the 2023 survey where respondents are Gen Zers, there were 77.5 percent heterosexuals and 22.5 percent members of the LGBTQA+ community. Among the Gen Xers and Gen Yers were 84.4 percent heterosexuals and 15.6 percent of the LGBTQA+. The ratio between males and females remains the same at almost 37 percent to 63 percent in favor of females.

Roughly 75 percent of Gen Zers are single, 10 percent are married, 15 percent are living in, 36 percent have children, and 64 percent are still childless. Among the Gen Xers and Gen Yers, only 60 percent are single, 25 percent are married, 15 percent are living in, 52 percent have children, and 48 percent are still childless.

Among the Gen Zers, more respondents have a college education, and the employed Gen Zers are 5 percentage points higher than their older cohorts. The distribution among low, medium and high-income groups among the Gen Zers is 20-60-20 percent, respectively. In comparison, Gen