Abstract
The purpose of the present study is to analyze the concept of the strategy for program development by public health nurses in Japan and to evaluate the application of the outcome to the practice and research of public health nurses. According to Rodger's approach the descriptive data concerning antecedents, attributes and consequences were qualitatively analyzed. Detected as the antecedents of the strategy for program development were: "Identification of health problems common among the public," "Vision and mission of the professionals," and "An increasing gap between the problems and the vision." The attributes found were: "To have far-reaching objectives and set goals for a proactive healthy life for the citizens," "A need to collect the information concerning individuals and also extending it to the community," "A high regard for communication and collaboration" and "A process of repeated planning, implementing and assessing the activities from diverse viewpoints". For consequences, the following emerged: "Establishing high quality programs", "Developing activities" and "Empowering the residents of the community and the personnel involved in the program." From these results, the concept behind the strategy for program development was defined, and the modal case which could support the defined concept was shown.
