AB063. Impact of social determinants of health on patient outcomes of a medical mobile clinic in the Philippines
Abstract

AB063. Impact of social determinants of health on patient outcomes of a medical mobile clinic in the Philippines

Mark Joseph Balunsat1,2, Arthur Gallo1,2, Ma. Hilana Roman1,2, Jethro Ocampo2,3, Kenneth Mesia2,4, Julieta Gabiola2,5

1University of the Philippines Manila, Manila, Philippines; 2ABC’s for Global Health, San Fernando, Philippines; 3College of Nursing and Pharmacy, University of the Assumption, San Fernando, Philippines; 4Manila Theological College of Medicine, Manila, Philippines; 5Division of Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

Background: Health inequities remain a persistent issue in the Philippines, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs). ABC’s for Global Health (ABCGH) operates a medical mobile clinic (MMC) in Pampanga to deliver primary care services to underserved communities. Recognizing that non-medical factors significantly affect health outcomes, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of social determinants of health (SDH) on patients served by the MMC.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2019 to July 2020 across 15 communities in Pampanga served by the MMC. The clinic focused primarily on non- communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. A total of 487 adult patients, with or without existing disease, participated in the study. Health outcomes were measured using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) survey, which categorizes physical and mental health across eight domains. Statistical analyses included logistic regression and Chi-squared tests at a 95% confidence level.

Results: Social determinants such as age, comorbidities, education, employment status, social class, living conditions, and access to public services (e.g., healthcare, education, transportation, waste management) significantly influenced SF-36 health scores. Key associations were observed in physical health domains—physical functioning, role limitations, pain, and general health—as well as in mental health domains—vitality, emotional well-being, and social functioning. Physical component scores (PCS) were associated with age, comorbidities, education, and social class, while mental component scores (MCS) were influenced by education and social class.

Conclusions: This study affirms that health outcomes are shaped not only by access to healthcare but by a range of intersecting social determinants. To improve patient outcomes, interventions must extend beyond clinical care to address systemic inequities in education, employment, and living conditions—underscoring the need for integrated, multi-sectoral health strategies in GIDA communities.

Keywords: Medical mobile clinic (MMC); public health; social determinants of health (SDH)

Footnote

Conflicts of Interest: This study was supported by ABC’s for Global Health. M.J.B. received funding, an honorarium for manuscript writing, and support for conference from ABC’s for Global Health. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.

Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the noncommercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.

doi: 10.21037/jphe-26-ab063
Cite this abstract as: Balunsat MJ, Gallo A, Roman MH, Ocampo J, Mesia K, Gabiola J. AB063. Impact of social determinants of health on patient outcomes of a medical mobile clinic in the Philippines. J Public Health Emerg 2026;10:AB063.

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