Hawaii Health and Sustainability Report 2025

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

Hawaii’s health outcomes show a mixed but generally positive performance in relation to SDG 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. However, significant disparities and challenges persist.

Key Health Metrics

• Adult Obesity: The state’s adult obesity rate was 27% in 2024, one of the lowest in the nation.
• Overweight and Obese Adults: 60% of adults fall into this combined category, ranking Hawaii 49th nationally.
• Chronic Conditions:
  1. 11.6% of adults have diabetes.
  2. Nearly one-third of adults have hypertension.
• Physical Activity: 21% of adults are classified as physically inactive.

Child and Adolescent Health

• Obesity Rates (2023):
  • Ages 6-17: 18.5%
  • High School Students: 14.7%
• Physical Activity Levels:
  • Only 15.9% of children (ages 6-17) meet the daily 60-minute guideline.
  • Fewer than 25% of high school students report exercising daily.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

Progress toward SDG 10 is challenged by notable disparities in health outcomes across different demographic groups within the state.

Disparities in Adult Obesity

1. By Gender: The obesity rate is higher among women (38%) compared to men (33%).
2. By Race:
   • Asian adults: 18.7%
   • Latino adults: 33.5%
   • Black adults: 34.9%

SDG 1 & SDG 2: No Poverty and Zero Hunger

Socioeconomic factors directly impact health, highlighting the interconnectedness of SDG 1, SDG 2, and SDG 3. While Hawaii has lower poverty rates than the national average, food insecurity remains a significant barrier to well-being.

Socioeconomic Context

• Poverty: 8% of residents and 13% of children live below the federal poverty line.
• Food Insecurity:
  • 1 in 10 households experiences food insecurity.
  • 1 in 5 children lives in a food-insecure home.
• Economic Pressures: The average cost per meal in Hawaii is $4.39, the highest in the nation, which strains family budgets and limits the effectiveness of food assistance.

Nutrition Assistance Programs

• Participation: 81% of eligible residents participate in SNAP, and 61% participate in WIC.
• Policy Concerns: Proposed federal changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could result in an average monthly benefit reduction of $183 for approximately 94,000 families in Hawaii, potentially worsening food insecurity.

SDG 4 & SDG 11: Quality Education and Sustainable Communities

Hawaii has made progress in creating supportive environments for health, aligning with goals for sustainable communities (SDG 11) and leveraging educational settings to promote nutrition (SDG 4).

Community and Environmental Health Factors

• Infrastructure:
  • Nearly 90% of children live in neighborhoods with sidewalks or walking paths.
  • 85% of children live near parks or playgrounds.
• Policy: The state’s “Complete Streets” policy received a moderate score of 11 out of 20 for promoting safe walking and biking infrastructure.

School and Child Care Nutrition

• Standards: Hawaii scored 66/100 for child care licensing standards promoting healthy habits and 76/100 for school lunch nutrition quality.
• Programs: The state has implemented the SUN Bucks summer food benefit and expanded the Community Eligibility Provision, allowing 77% of eligible districts to offer free meals. A bill for universal free school meals is under consideration.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger: The article directly addresses food insecurity, the cost of food, and access to nutrition assistance programs like SNAP and WIC, which are central to ending hunger and ensuring access to food.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: This is the primary focus of the article. It extensively discusses health outcomes related to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and physical inactivity in both adults and children, which are key components of ensuring healthy lives.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The article highlights significant disparities in health outcomes, specifically obesity rates, across different racial groups (Asian, Black, Latino) and genders (men vs. women). This connects directly to the goal of reducing inequality within a country.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article touches upon community and environmental factors that influence health, such as the availability of sidewalks, walking paths, parks, and playgrounds, as well as policies like “Complete Streets” that aim to create safe and accessible public spaces.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access by all people… to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. The article’s discussion of food insecurity (“1 in 10 households struggling to afford adequate food”), the high cost of meals ($4.39 per meal), and reliance on SNAP and WIC programs directly relates to this target.
2. Target 2.2: End all forms of malnutrition. The article’s focus on obesity rates in adults (27%) and children (18.5%) addresses a key aspect of malnutrition (overnutrition) and its health consequences.
3. Target 3.4: Reduce by one-third premature mortality from non-communicable diseases through prevention and treatment. The data on obesity, diabetes (11.6% of adults), and hypertension (nearly 1 in 3 adults) are all risk factors and examples of non-communicable diseases that this target aims to reduce. The article’s focus on physical inactivity is also tied to the prevention aspect of this target.
4. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage. The article mentions that “Only 4% of residents under 65 lack health insurance,” indicating a high level of health coverage, which is a core component of this target.
5. Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity… The article provides disaggregated data showing disparities in obesity rates by race (Asian adults at 18.7% vs. Black adults at 34.9%) and gender (women at 38% vs. men at 33%), highlighting the inequalities this target seeks to address.
6. Target 11.7: Provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces. The statistics that “Nearly 9 in 10 children live in neighborhoods with sidewalks or walking paths, and 85% live near parks or playgrounds” directly measure progress toward this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Prevalence of food insecurity: The article provides specific data points: “1 in 10 households struggling to afford adequate food” and “1 in 5 children living in food-insecure homes.”
• Prevalence of overweight and obesity: Multiple indicators are given, including the adult obesity rate (27%), the combined overweight/obese rate for adults (60%), the obesity rate for children ages 6-17 (18.5%), and rates for high school students (14.7% obese, 15.1% overweight).
• Prevalence of non-communicable diseases: The article states that “about 11.6% of Hawaii adults live with diabetes, while nearly 1 in 3 have hypertension.”
• Prevalence of physical inactivity: Indicators include “21% of adults were classified as physically inactive” and the fact that “fewer than 1 in 4 teens reported exercising daily.”
• Health insurance coverage: The article indicates that “Only 4% of residents under 65 lack health insurance.”
• Disaggregated health data by demographic group: The article provides obesity rates broken down by race (Asian: 18.7%, Black: 34.9%, Latino: 33.5%) and gender (Women: 38%, Men: 33%), serving as indicators of inequality.
• Access to public infrastructure for physical activity: The article states that “Nearly 9 in 10 children live in neighborhoods with sidewalks or walking paths, and 85% live near parks or playgrounds.”

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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