Objectives: Migrant technical intern trainees who migrate to Japan have become essential to the Japanese labour force, especially in rural areas. Persons in charge of supervising organisations and training coordinators both support the trainees’ health and daily lives during their stay in Japan. This support is significant for trainees as it helps them access and interact with Japanese society. This study explored the perspectives of persons in charge of female technical trainees regarding support for the latter’s health and daily lives.Materials and Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 persons in charge of female technical trainees, followed by a thematic analysis of the interview data to extract key themes.Results: Four primary themes emerged: fostered beliefs and roles, cultural considerations and health support, language considerations, and concerns about female trainees in relationships. These considerations and support developed solely through experience of persons in charge of female trainees. Additionally, those in charge expressed concerns about trainees being involved in a relationship. However, no specific measures, such as providing female trainees with information, have been taken.Conclusion: Persons in charge of female technical intern trainees need to be provided opportunities to learn about cultural considerations and providing health support for their trainees. Furthermore, the cooperation of health professionals with supervising organisations and training facilities is essential to promote the healthy lives of technical intern trainees. These insights can contribute to the development of an integrated community-based approach to support the health and daily lives of female trainees.

Objectives: This study examined the actual conditions of service provision to foreign residents (FRs) addressing prevention of lifestyle-related diseases (LRDs) and disaster preparedness/disaster responses (DPRs) in Japanese municipalities.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-administered questionnaire with representatives of public health nurses in each municipality in Japan from December 2021 to January 2022.Results: Services considering FRs are more likely to be implemented in cities than in towns, and in municipalities where FRs account for ≥2.2% of the population (proportion of FRs in the Japanese population at the time of the study) than in those with fewer FRs. Cities have larger populations and greater financial resources than towns. Factors associated with the implementation of services and measures necessary for providing services to FRs were the classification of the municipality as a city, a high percentage of FRs, and large variation in corresponding nationalities/countries of origin.Conclusions: Cross-disciplinary efforts and collaborations need to be strengthened to share available resources within local governments and experiences in providing services for FRs in other divisions/sections, rather than considering only how to provide services for FRs in the public health division/section.

Objective: Municipal National Health Insurance (NHI) in Nagasaki Prefecture in Japan struggles with poor attendance of health check-ups, which was only 39.6% in 2018. This study aimed to evaluate factors that encourage healthy behaviors, including opting for health check-ups, and the characteristics of middle-aged and older individuals who did not undergo health check-ups.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study, using a self-administered questionnaire, was conducted in August 2020 in three municipalities of Nagasaki Prefecture. In addition to questions regarding sociodemographic information, such as sex, age, educational status, self-rated economic status, and family structure, the questionnaire included questions on daily lifestyle habits such as alcohol intake and exercise, current medical treatment, self-rated health, and information related to health check-ups. Of the 18,710 questionnaires distributed in the three municipalities, 8,756 (46.8%) were collected by the end of December 2020, of which 7,840 were valid for analysis. The compliance rate for health check-ups was obtained from the Public Health and Welfare Bureau of Nagasaki Prefecture. Statistical analyses were performed according to two age groups: 40−59 and 60−74 years.Results: Among the respondents who did not undergo health check-ups in the year prior to this study, “lack of time” and being “too bothersome” were the most popular reasons for not attending health check-ups. “Living alone” and “low self-rated economic status” were negative factors for receiving health check-ups regardless of age group.Conclusions: Vulnerable middle-aged and older persons, such as those living alone and with low economic status, were less likely to undergo health check-ups. Emphasis on home visits by public health nurses may also be needed to increase awareness of individual health conditions, especially for people living alone and those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged.

Objective: The present study aims to investigate the factors related to self-rated ikigai (purpose in life) among older residents participating in hillside residential community-based activities in Nagasaki City.Methods: A self-administered anonymous questionnaire survey was carried out with older residents participating in two hillside residential community-based activities in Nagasaki City, Japan. The questionnaire included questions on sociodemographic information (age, sex, family structure, education, and self-rated economic satisfaction), self-rated health, mental health status measured using Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15), and self-rated ikigai score that was estimated using a visual analog scale.Results: A total of 32 older residents (7 males, 25 females) participated in the questionnaire survey. Although self-rated ikigai score was not associated with sociodemographic factors, there were associations between the score, self-rated health (P=0.001), and mental health (GDS-15) (P=0.015). Statistically significant correlations between self-rated ikigai score and social participation (ρ=0.426, P=0.017), self-rated health (ρ=−0.485, P=0.007), and mental health (GDS-15) (ρ=−0.523, P=0.007) were observed.Conclusion: Increasing social participation may increase individual ikigai, preventing poor self-rated health and low mental health status in older people. Maintaining their social participation in the community might be effective for the health promotion of older residents in hillside residential areas of Nagasaki City.

Objective: To assess the awareness of contraceptive methods, understanding of HIV/AIDS prevention and the perception of HIV/AIDS risks among secondary school students in Tanzania.Methods: An anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted among secondary school students in Tanzania. The questionnaire included sociodemographic characteristics, awareness of contraceptive methods, an understanding of HIV/AIDS prevention, and the perception of HIV/AIDS risks. Three secondary schools were selected by considering the gender balance and location, which included the urban and surrounding areas. The research objectives, methods, and ethical considerations were explained, and the students voluntarily completed the questionnaire.Results: A total of 233 responses were collected, and 204 responses were considered valid for the analysis. The mean and standard deviation of age were 18.5 ± 1.0. Regardless of the gender, age, religion, and major course of study, the maternal educational status (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 3.129; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.324, 7.398; P=0.009) and the number of information sources (AOR: 7.023, 95% CI: 3.166, 15.579, P<0.001) demonstrated associations with the awareness of contraceptive methods. Respondents who lived outside a dormitory (AOR: 3.782; 95% CI: 1.650, 8.671; P=0.002) and who currently had a partner (AOR: 3.616; 95% CI: 1.486, 8.800; P=0.005) were associated with a high level of understanding of HIV/AIDS prevention regardless of gender, age, religion, and major course of study. Respondents with few information sources were associated with a high level of perception of HIV/AIDS risks (AOR: 0.293; 95% CI: 0.115, 0.747; P=0.010), regardless of gender, age, religion, and major course of study.Conclusion: Factors associated with the awareness of contraceptive methods, the understanding of HIV/AIDS prevention, and perception of HIV/AIDS risks were not consistent. To ensure the improvement of these factors among secondary school students, sexual health education should be integrated into educational programs and provided holistically.

Objective: An accidental fire that occurred in a hillside residential area in the city of Nagasaki was evaluated to assess the challenges faced by communities located on sloped terrains and to develop community-based support systems applicable to such hillside residential areas.Methods: Community observations and key-informant interviews were performed in the area affected by the fire. A self-administered questionnaire survey was also conducted among residents of the affected area. Information obtained through community observations of the fire-struck area and key-informant interviews was analyzed and assessed using a two-dimensional (2D) framework.Results: According to community observations and key-informant interviews, initial firefighting efforts were delayed due to lack of preparedness, in addition to geographic factors such as narrow roads and outdoor staircases, which allowed the fire to spread. The livelihood and health support measures for elderly residents requiring evacuation assistance were also insufficient. A hospital neighboring the area affected by the fire accident voluntarily provided some services to evacuees, but support from other nearby organizations/institutions was either not available or not offered. According to the questionnaire answers, elderly residents had little knowledge of the location and proper use of fire hydrants in their area. In addition, 65% of the respondents had never participated in disaster training exercises. From these results, the following three points could be determined: 1) The geographic features of the hillside residential area enhanced the spread of the fire. 2) The multi-sector support systems for evacuees were inadequate, collaboration among the existing systems was insufficient, and the roles of those systems were not fully clarified in advance. 3) Elderly residents in the hillside residential area did not have sufficient the knowledge and/or ability to engage in fire prevention activities and had inadequate firefighting skills.Conclusions: It is important to improve disaster preparedness knowledge and training for local residents on ordinary times. Additionally, cross-sector collaborative disaster response, harmonious management, and support systems must be ensured and sustained before, during, and after disasters.

Introduction: This study aims to explore experiences of romantic relationships and to examine determinants of desires to marry and have children in the future among Japanese university students.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate students of A University, located in the capital city of a Japanese prefecture, using an anonymous self-administered and structured questionnaire developed by an online survey software.Results: A total of 815 respondents with complete data were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Over 80% of males and females expressed the desire to marry and have children in the future. It was found that for both female and male respondents, the “desire to marry” was associated with currently being in a romantic relationship or having experience of sexual intercourse. On the contrary, the “desire to have children” was associated with currently being in a romantic relationship or having experience of sexual intercourse only among male respondents, and no significant association was observed among female respondents.Conclusion: “Currently being in a romantic relationship” and “having experience of sexual intercourse” were associated with wanting to marry and have children in the future among male university students. This suggests that these may be important factors in providing a positive perception regarding having children when they attain childbearing age.

Objective: Participation in social activities is associated with physical and psychological health in the community-dwelling elderly population. We examined the two factors of social relations and community health resources, associated with higher self-rated health levels in the community-dwelling elderly.Methods: A total of 145 community-dwelling elderly people ≥ 65 years old from two neighborhood associations in Nagasaki City were recruited for this study, representing 85% of the officially registered ≥ 65-year-old population in the target area. Face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire were conducted by trained interviewers in August 2009, with questions related to sociodemographic characteristics, social relationships, and self-rated health (SRH). Community health resources (type and walking distance from home) were evaluated by one of the authors as a community assessment.Results: Seventy-eight community-dwelling elderly people (25 men and 53 women) participated in the study. Elderly people who reported going out every day were more likely to show higher SRH scores (excellent/good) than those going out less often (OR: 3.7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.0, 14.2; P = 0.056). The numbers of interactions with friends in higher and lower SRH groups were 6.5 ± 8.4 (mean ± standard deviation) and 2.4 ± 1.1 (P = 0.01, Mann-Whitney U test), respectively. The numbers of relatives talking on the phone in higher and lower SRH groups were 2.9 ± 1.3 and 2.2 ± 1.2 (P = 0.031, Mann-Whitney U test), respectively. Meeting scores with friends in higher and lower SRH groups were 7.8 ± 5.8 and 4.5 ± 3.6 (P = 0.068), respectively. The scores of community health resources among higher and lower SRH groups were 21.2 ± 1.5 and 20.9 ± 1.4 (P = 0.547), respectively. The scores of community association/activities in higher and lower SRH groups were 3.9 ± 1.0 and 3.6 ± 0.9 (P = 0.227), respectively.Conclusion: This study indicated the importance of interaction with friends and relatives for maintaining higher SRH among community-dwelling elderly people.

Objectives: To compare experiences regarding the perpetration of intimate partner violence among Japanese university freshmen between 2008 and 2014.Study design: Two-stage cross-sectional study.Methods: A self-administered questionnaire survey was completed in both 2008 and 2014 by students at the same university.Results: There were significant reductions in episodes of verbal harassment (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 0.601, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.382, 0.945, P = 0.027) that occurred when a boy/girlfriend said “you don’t give me priority” to his/her partner when they did not see them (AOR: 0.450, 95%CI: 0.207, 0.979, P = 0.044), and also in instances of irritation that resulted when a boy/girlfriend disobeyed his/her partner (AOR: 0.385, 95%CI: 0.161, 0.921, P = 0.032) from 2008 to 2014. The perpetration scores were reduced from 1.87 ± 0.16 in 2008 to 1.41 ± 0.117 in 2014 (t test, P = 0.016). The perpetration scores in 2014 were significantly lower than those in 2008, regardless of gender, age, university faculty, and participation in lectures/seminars about domestic violence (DV) and/or dating DV (P = 0.030).Conclusions: Findings showed reductions in some types of harassment, as well as in perpetration scores, between 2008 and 2014 among Japanese university freshmen at the same university. However, further study is required to determine the factors related to the perpetration of harassment.

BACKGROUND: Natural disasters have long-term negative impacts on the health and socioenvironmental conditions of a population, affecting the physical environment as well as the relationships within the community, including social networks. Mothers in post-disaster communities may have difficulty receiving social support not only from family members and relatives but also from members of their community, such as people in their neighborhoods. This study focused on mothers with infants and preschool-aged children in post-disaster communities. The associations of social support with sociodemographic characteristics and socioenvironmental conditions related to child-rearing among mothers in post-disaster communities were assessed. METHODS: An anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted in October 2015 in 988 households in areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. The data collected on sociodemographic and socioenvironmental characteristics included the presence of pre-disaster acquaintances in the neighborhood and social support for child-rearing. The associations of sociodemographic and socioenvironmental characteristics with social support were examined. RESULTS: We analyzed 215 completed questionnaires from mothers living in different houses from those they lived in before the disaster to reflect continuous relationships with people from the pre-disaster communities. Social support was significantly associated with infant sex, extended family, support obtained from relatives not living together, pre-disaster acquaintances, use of child support resources, and no perceived difficulties in child-rearing. In addition, the presence of pre-disaster acquaintances was associated with categories of mental/physical place of comfort and child-rearing support, with adjusted odds ratios of 1.88 (95% CI 1.03-3.44) and 2.84 (95% CI 1.46-5.52) compared with mothers who did not have any pre-disaster acquaintances. CONCLUSIONS Factors associated with the obtainment of social support in child-rearing among mothers in post-disaster communities were attributed not only to mothers themselves and family members but also to socioenvironmental factors such as the presence of pre-disaster acquaintances. The presence of pre-disaster acquaintances promoted rich social support in child-rearing in post-disaster communities. When reconstructing a community following changes in residence location after a disaster, the pre-disaster relationships among the community dwellers should be considered from the viewpoint of child-rearing support.
Child Rearing ; Child, Preschool ; Disasters ; statistics & numerical data ; Earthquakes ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Japan ; Male ; Mothers ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Social Support ; Tsunamis ; statistics & numerical data