INTRODUCTION: Community health profiles guide workers in identifying health problems and prioritizing programs for implementation. A community health profile document helps local health stakeholders realize the need for collaborative effort to address and solve health problems. This paper is a situational analysis which looks at the community health profile of San Gaspar, Ilocos Sur, focusing on direct and indirect dimensions of the community that can effect the health status of the population.
METHODS: Survey of 59 households, focus group discussion, key informant interviews of existing records were done.
RESULTS & CONCLUSION: San Gaspar is found to be similar to other rural communities in the absence of an established water system, poor garbage disposal, lack of concrete waste management programs, and high prevalence of acute respiratory illnesses. However, it significantly differs from majority of rural areas in nutritional status, some health practices and health seeking behaviors. These differences can be attributed to: a) proximity to rural health unit, b) active and dynamic rural health workers, c) people's high regard for health, and d) relatively high educational attainment.