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.

Introduction  The number of foreign tourists and residents, including Muslims, requiring medical care in Japan is increasing. Little is known about the experiences of Japanese healthcare professionals (HCPs) who care for Muslim patients. This study aimed to describe healthcare professionals’ experiences and approaches to caring for Muslim patients as well as the HCPs’ knowledge and attitudes toward these patients. Methods  A key informant interview was conducted by interviewing healthcare professionals experienced in caring for international patients. Content analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Results  A total of 292 codes were extracted, and 18 subcategories were identified. Five categories were consequently identified. Four categories represented cultural competencies, including Islamic cultural and religious knowledge and how to deal with these issues, especially “halal (permissible) medicine” and Ramadan fasting; one category was related to the need for organizational support. The key informants demonstrated expert knowledge and skills in caring for Muslim patients. Our findings have implications for gathering more evidence on “halal medicine” and Ramadan in Japan, requiring the collective efforts of professional and academic organizations. Conclusion  The current study found that participants displayed culturally competent knowledge and attitudes toward Muslim patients. However, further efforts are necessary for developing evidence-based practice regarding the impact of Islamic religious practices on patients.

  As global migration has been increasing rapidly, the Japan Association for International Health (JAIH) established the committee for migration and health in early 2021. This committee, which aims to challenge the health issues of migrants inside and outside Japan, held the first kick-off symposium in the 36th Congress of JAIH on 27 November 2021. Five symposiasts were invited and had presentations from the viewpoints of human rights and culture, which were recognized as the common keywords. This article was written by all symposiasts and chairpersons as the report of the kick-off symposium.

Introduction   The Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak forced social events to be cancelled, and academic meetings were no exception. This has increased the need for online seminars (webinars), although, lack of knowledge or experience for hosting such events were prominent. We, “Kansai Global Health”, began preparing a series of webinars from March 2020 under the theme “COVID-19 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”. We hereby report our experience and tips on what hosts should bearing in mind for academic webinars. Our Event  Participants of Kansai Global Health were required to register prior to the webinar on Google Forms, where characteristics of the participants were subsequently obtained. Zoom software was used to create a YouTube livestreaming video for viewing. An online questionnaire was used to obtain feedback from the participants. Data analysis of the livestreaming was conducted with YouTube Analytics. The cumulative total of participants was 2083. Most were Japanese residents, but 69 participants registered from overseas such as Tunisia and Zambia. The majority of the participants were health professionals, with some non-health professionals and students. 85.7% of the participants rated the webinar satisfaction above four on a scale out of five. Comments from the participants were mostly positive, while some participants claimed some errors of the host members prior to and during the webinar. Lessons Learnt  The satisfaction of webinars consisted not only of the contents but also of the quality of the hosts. These accidents could be avoided, or kept under control, with thorough preparations and rehearsals of the hosts discussing possible protocols under such circumstances and making good use of communication tools such as message applications.   Adequate hosting techniques are essential for feasible discussions online. Global health webinars should improve hosting skills, as well as its contents, to create a future platform to conduct fruitful discussions.

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

Objectives
  The objective of the study was to analyze the effects of home-based records on pregnancy, delivery, and child health care in Indonesia.
Methods
  The data were obtained from women who had children under 5 years old at the time of the collection of the 2002, 2007, and 2012 Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys. The study divided women into two groups: those who used the Maternal and Child Health Handbook (MCHHB) or antenatal card (AC) as a home-based records group, and those who did not use MCHHB or AC as the control group. We calculated the adjusted odds ratios and expressed the effects using meta-analysis methods.
Results
  The study revealed that, compared with the control group, the home-based records group had more knowledge and better practices during pregnancy, delivery, and child health care (e.g., immunization). The home-based records group knew how to solve the problems of complications during pregnancy and used skilled birth attendants for delivery. This study also found that husbands in the home-based records group were involved in discussing the delivery location, finding transportation, and identifying a blood donor.
Conclusions
  This study showed that home-based records had strong associations with the knowledge and practices of women regarding pregnancy, delivery, and child health care.