Abstract
Purpose : To explore the methods used by public health nurses (PHNs) to provide culturally sensitive health consultations for community residents in rural communities in order to prevent life-style related diseases and to nurture a health oriented culture. Methods : In three rural areas a total of 19 subjects, who have shown changes in habits that are necessary for preventing life-style related diseases after health consultations by 5 PHNs, were enrolled as participants. Participant observation was conducted at health consultation sessions and PHN's interviewed them about their thoughts. Qualitative and inductive analysis was conducted on the following research questions: a) "What cultural themes did PHNs consider in health consultations ?" b) "How did PHNs use those cultural themes in health consultations to enhance behavioral change for individuals including their families and companies, and to spread this amongst community residents ?" Results : PHNs grasped the cultural themes from three aspects; changeable ones, unchanged ones and original ones. At health consultations, PHNs used these cultural themes as follows; to assess how the culture has changed among individuals and community residents' lives, to motivate individuals to change their behavior by stimulating individual's awareness of the risk in culture and by accepting individual ambivalent feelings accompanied by behavioral change, and to propose concrete methods adjusted for the culture to change habits among individuals and community residents' lives. Conclusion : PHNs are required to understand and make use of the culture according to its changeability. By using the above methods, individuals feel comfortable and seek healthy behavior. If individual habits change and such behavior results in positive healthy changes for others, a chain affect of such behavior can be a long-term positive for the community.
