Community Medicine and Health Promotion in the New Century

—Health Practice Based on Informed Choice and Evidence—

Abstract

Our major health task of the 21^St Century is to prolong high-quality healthy life span. To this aim, we need to realize a society that will enable us to:
1) thoroughly learn the numerous epidemiological/clinical evidence for habits that raise the risks of diseases through effective health education;
2) make an informed choice of individual health program, out of many choices presented to us based on the evidence;
3) receive full support from the local community; and
4) maintain the spirit to enjoy and practice the health program for living independently until the last day of our lives.
Evidence-based medicine as well as narrative-based medicine and family medicine should receive great attention.
In order to change undesirable habits, health professionals first need to discuss with the individual clients face-to-face, find the barriers that may hinder their health behavior change, and work together with the clints towards overcoming these barriers.
Putting informed choice and evidence into practice is where the challenge lies ; understanding one's health program is necessary but not sufficient for a successful behavior change. Our efforts to date include the following:
1) opened Healthy Village, rich in its natural, athletic, cultural offers;
2) opened Sports Community Dynamic;
3) incorporated Komatsu Sports Association to promote‘Sports for all’, aiming for half the citizens to participate in sports;
4) complete health examination by the HIWSS method;
5) developed and distributed HIWSS computer software for health promotion;
6) established partnership with the local, prefectural, and national government;
7) established Komatsu Health Promotion Foundation;
8) sponsored four-day refresh seminars;
9) implemented anti-smoking programs;
10) appointed as the model city for‘Healthy Japan 21’Project by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labor.