In this study, we aimed to clarify the socio-cultural factors affecting the mental and physical health of pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women living in Japan. The study participants were 18 pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women living in two prefectures with large Brazilian populations. A Japanese investigator and a Portuguese interpreter comprised the team, and conducted semi-structured interviews at the participants’ homes. The study period was between 2013 and 2014. The interviews were carried out using the Cultural Determinants of Help Seeking theory. Analytical ethnography was used for data coding and theme extraction.

  The results revealed that “worry” and “shoulder and back pain” were the most common mental and physical symptoms, followed by “headache,” “irritability and anger,” “insomnia and sleeplessness,” and “anxiety.” The reasons given for these included: “pregnancy and child rearing;” “anxiety about work and income;” “complications of being a foreigner;” and “the absence of someone to depend upon.” Moreover, the following five core categories of socio-cultural factors influencing these causes were extracted: “equal and deeply connected family;” “strength to continue working;” “choosing the right conditions to settle down in;” “low satisfaction with the healthcare system;” and “the blessings of God.”

  Pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women living in Japan have various mental and physical distress symptoms, and our findings revealed that differences between Brazilian and Japanese patterns of family life and religion were the major influencers on these. These findings must be understood to provide intervention in order to lead pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women to appropriate health behaviors.

  Introduction  This study aimed to clarify social networking and help seeking behaviors in relation to the health of pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women in Japan, using unanalyzed data collected in the article titled “Socio-cultural factors affecting the health of pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women in Japan” published in this journal.Methods  We conducted semi-structured interviews of pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women aged ≥20 years in their homes in Prefectures A and B during 2013-2014. We used the Japanese version of the interview guide based on the cultural determinants of help seeking developed by Arnault. The analysis was guided by analytic ethnography, and core themes were derived.Results  The interviews were conducted with 18 women. Their mean age was 32.4 years (5 women in their 20s and 13 women in their 30s). The average length of stay was 12.6 years (6 women: <10 years and 12 women: ≥10 years). Regarding residential status, 12 women were permanent residents. Two categories for social networking were derived: (1) limited social interaction and (2) reliance on family and trusted others. Two categories for help-seeking behaviors were derived: (1) reliance on informal resources close to them and (2) self-reliant problem solving.Conclusions  The social networking and help-seeking behaviors of pregnant and puerperal Brazilian women in Japan were related to their way of cultivating relationships in their transnational life as migrant workers. Their behaviors were also related to their perception on the family, their religion, and their self-reliant problem-solving behaviors.