Presentation of the results of the national survey STEPS 2023

STEPS is a national survey that began in 2023, in which 20 surveyors visited various households around Aruba. The goal was to collect information from more than 5,000 citizens between the ages of 18 and 69 regarding their health, lifestyle, and mental health.

STEPS 2023 indicates that:

• 78% of the Aruban population is overweight, and about half, 48% obese;
• 24% of our population has high blood pressure, of which 9% are young persons between 18-29 aña years;
• 38% of the population is at risk for a chronic disease.

Another concerning issue pertains to alcohol consumption. Tobacco use is less alarming but does show that usage is high among the youth.

This data provides a general overview, and the Ministry of Public Health is already working on various prevention projects to improve these figures in the future.

Every citizen needs to take responsibility for their health and that of their family from an early age; otherwise, the chances are high that they will have more health complications in the future. Everyone wants a good quality of life, but it starts with a healthy lifestyle.

The government is very grateful to the PAHO (Pan American Health Organization) and the WHO (World Health Organization) for their assistance and support with this survey, which is an essential tool for the government and will help create the best possible policy on this issue.