1.Nursing Students' Perceptions After Participation in a Cervical Cancer Seminar
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 2025;73(5):490-495
This study aimed to clarify the perceptions of nursing students regarding cervical cancer after attending a “Cervical Cancer Seminar” held as part of the Comprehensive Cancer Control Promotion Plan of Ibaraki Prefecture. A qualitative analysis of reflections written by 28 firstyear nursing students was performed to examine their learning experiences following the seminar. The analysis identified four key categories representing their perceptions: “acquisition of accurate knowledge”, “attitudes toward vaccination and screening”, “awareness of personal roles as future professionals”, and “consideration for partners”. Participation in the seminar led nursing students not only to gain accurate knowledge and develop positive attitudes toward vaccination and screening but also heightened their awareness of their roles as future healthcare professionals and as socially responsible individuals. Additionally, findings revealed preferences for female doctors during cervical cancer screening due to the embarrassment associated with the procedure, as well as concerns about the financial burden of screening costs. These findings suggest that improving the screening environment and reducing the financial burden will be crucial for advancing cervical cancer control efforts.
2.Tablet-Based Remote Support for Female In-Home Caregivers in Sparsely Populated Areas
Journal of the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine 2021;70(1):13-21
The purpose of this study was to investigate implementation of tablet-based remote support for female in-home caregivers in sparsely populated rural areas and to determine the effectiveness of that support. Remote support was delivered to 2 women providing in-home care through counseling sessions about caregiving conducted over the Hangouts app on a 10.5-inch ipad Pro® for 1 year. The topics on which caregivers were counseled during this year of remote support were “excretion management for the care recipient,” “responding to the care recipient’s words and actions,” “confusion about the care recipient’s symptoms,” “selection of a long-term care service,” and “cooperative family caregiving programs.” Semi-structured interviews about the tablet-based remote support were conducted after the support period ended. Participants were asked about (1) operating the tablet and (2) whether the sessions changed their caregiving practices. Interviews were recorded with a digital voice recorder and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed qualitatively using the approach of Mayring (2000). The 4 categories developed were “expectations for instantaneous support methods,” “adaptation to using a tablet,” “changes in perception of caregiving,” and “getting time to talk about their own caregiving.” Participants’ perception of caregiving changed through tablet-based remote support because they could receive professional support with reassurance that comes from seeing the person’s face. In addition, participants were quick to adapt to using a tablet because the application was simple to use even for older caregivers, and they had expectations for instantaneous support methods.
3.Attitudes toward older adults and willingness to acquire exercise instruction-related qualifications in university students who experience providing exercise instruction to them
Takeshi OTSUKI ; Kazuya SUWABE ; Sumiyo SHIINA ; Toru YOSHIKAWA ; Asako ZEMPO-MIYAKI ; Yuko SOMIYA
Japanese Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine 2024;73(3):123-131
In Japan, where the population is aging, it is important to train exercise instructors who promote health in older adults. Previous studies demonstrated that an intergenerational program that was not focused on exercise improved university students’ perceptions of older adults, but the effects of an intergenerational exercise-related program have not been explored. This study investigated whether obtaining experience in providing exercise instruction to older adults improved university students’ attitudes toward these adults and their willingness to acquire exercise instruction-related qualifications. Second-year university students majoring in sport and health sciences were divided into intervention (n = 29) or control (n = 33) groups. Students in the intervention group participated in a 5-session program that involved choreographing exercise with music and giving exercise instructions to community-dwelling older adults. In the final session, the students and older adults performed the exercise together, and this session was videotaped. Explicit attitudes toward older adults improved from before to after the program in the intervention group. The percentage of students in the intervention group who were willing to acquire exercise instruction-related qualifications was greater after the program than before it. In the control group, there were no detectable differences in these measures before and after the study period. Students’ feelings (i.e., vitality, stability, pleasure, and arousal) acutely improved after each session in the intervention group. These results may imply that after experiencing the provision of exercise instruction to older adults, university students’ explicit attitudes toward these adults and their willingness to obtain exercise instruction-related qualifications were increased.