Related Factors to the Attitude toward Community of Health Promotion Volunteers by Years of Experience

Abstract

Purpose: Health promotion volunteers (HPVs) who are members of community health organizations have been fostered by municipal administrative officer including public health nurses and they have worked in local communities in Japan. The purposes of this study are to compare the attitude toward community of HPVs, explore factors related to their attitude toward community, by years of experience, and find ways for promoting and supporting the activities of HPVs. Methods: The subjects were 604 HPVs in two cities in a prefecture. A mail-in self-check questionnaire survey was conducted in September 2005. Results: A total of 432 questionnaires were analyzed (valid response rate: 71.5 %). Two factors, 'activeness' and 'cooperativeness,' were obtained based on factor analysis for the attitude scale toward community. Both the activeness and the cooperativeness were significantly higher in the group of 9 or more years of experience than in the groups of 1-3 years. The higher the motivation for activities at the time of training completion in the groups of 1-3 years and 4-8 years and the cooperation by the head of the community with their activities in the group of 9 or more years were, the higher the activeness of HPVs was. The higher the motivation for activities at the time of training completion in the groups of 1-3 years and 4-8 years, the support provided by colleagues in the groups of 1-3 years and 4-8 years and the support provided by local residents in all groups were, the higher the cooperativeness of HPVs was. Conclusion: It was important to strengthen the relationships among members and encourage members to participate in the activities with local residents to promote their activities. Administrative officer could support HPVs by working on the head of the community to cooperate with their activities and by strengthening mutual support of HPVs and collaboration with local residents.