Public health nurses (PHNs) give long-term support to the activities of health promotion volunteers that are intended to create mutual assistance among residents. This study examines from a cultural standpoint the involvement of PHNs in creating social capital.
　Three municipalities were selected in which health promotion volunteers had been active continuously for about 10 years or more. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four PHNs who had been engaged in these activities for at least one year. In X town, mother-and-child health promotion activities were conducted to create parenting support networks and provide routine parenting consultations in the area. Volunteer activities in Y town consisted of managing a permanent exercise hall to help maintain physical functions and prevent the need for long-term care. This included inviting local residents to participate in the exercise. In Z town, the activities involved assisting the smooth promotion of health-management endeavors, and fostering cooperation with local residents to promote health.
　The PHNs involved found it important to 1) continue conveying their vision of how things should be, 2) have an attitude that ensures the appropriateness of the activities, and 3) build bidirectional relationships by maintaining the sensibilities nurtured by the health promotion volunteers. The creation of social capital also requires long-term support. This suggests that the PHNs involved should regularly share information with the local residents, and that it is necessary to establish systems for the creation of organizational cultures that allow liberal sharing of feelings and ideas.

　This research aims to clarify the health and medical/nursing/caregiving needs of 1st-and-2nd-generation Japanese returnees from China and their Chinese spouses living in "A" prefecture, and examine necessary nursing care.
　An anonymous questionnaire was administered to 1st-and-2nd-generation Japanese returnees and their respective Chinese spouses, all aged 50 and older and living in "A" prefecture in the Kanto area. It covered issues including basic attributes, difficulties with daily activities, mental health (GHQ12), experience receiving medical care in Japan, and recognition of public health nurses and visiting nurses. Participants were asked to freely share opinions about matters such as what is necessary for mental and physical health.
　Valid responses were collected from 163 participants, of whom 62 were 1st-generation, 30 were 2nd-generation, and 71 were Chinese spouses of either 1st or 2nd generation returnees. There were 70 men and 90 women with an average age of 65.6 who had lived in Japan for an average of 16.9 years. A little under 20% had difficulty walking, affecting activities of daily living, and a little over 40% were suspected of having mental health issues. Nearly all had experience receiving medical care in Japan, and twenty-some percent of participants recognized public health nurses and visiting nurses. In addition to mental attitude and lifestyle habits, participants noted that interpreters and lifestyle stability were necessary for mental and physical health.
　Previous suggestions for nursing care that takes into account the culture of 1st-and-2nd-generation Japanese returnees from China and their Chinese spouses have included consideration of the language barrier, multifaceted involvement in collaboration with local government and welfare services, and promoting understanding among local residents.

　The importance of understanding community traits, including social and cultural aspects, in health care delivery has recently been pointed out. Although various methods of understanding regional traits have been considered, healthcare professionals' viewpoints regarding the understanding of community traits have not yet been examined. Through an interview survey, this study aimed to clarify healthcare professionals' viewpoints regarding their understanding of community traits. The survey results indicated that healthcare professionals: (1) assessed the community by the narrower range of city or ward, (2) held a view focusing on the differences within the same community as well as shared traits or common qualities beyond the geographical viewpoint, and (3) held a view that related each of the different aspects of the community to one another. These results indicated the importance of thinking of the range of a community as encompassing more than its areas of activities of daily living, and of emphasizing the relationship between factors that construct community, instead of lapsing into the habit of analyzing each factor, for understanding a community. Therefore, healthcare professionals were not merely using the conventional conceptual framework but also reconstructing it through their practice.