The purpose of this study is to clarify the actual situation of burnout of nurses, and is to clarify some characteristics of nurses concerning the relation between burnout and Assertivenss behavior. 265 nurses who are working in a surgery system ward of K university hospital. Question paper method is used. As a result, age equal to or less than 24 years old nurses, and equal to or less than 3 years career nurses, and a common nurse, and nurse's self expression of low "Assertive score", high "Non-Assertive score" was more likely to fall into burnout. We propose assertion training for nurse training course to prevent from burnout.

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The purpose of this study was to clarify the living requirements enhance empowerment for the elderly. The subjects were all the residents of 65 years of age and older in an agricultural village near a large urban center in Japan. 876 residents answered the mailed questioners twice with four-year interval. The results were as follows : 1) According to the results of logistic analysis by stepwise methods, "positive approach for living" was promoted by "participation to local activities", "safety in an emergency" and "high health motivation". 2) Also, "feeling importance" was promoted by "communication with family" and "high health motivation" These findings suggested that the living requirements enhance empowerment for the elderly related to the individual motivation for life, communication with family and community, and supportive health-social systems. Further research must be done to develop more practical methods to enhance empowerment for the elderly.

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The objective of this study was to elucidate the factors causing the current declining birth rate and regional difference in birth rates in Japan in order to obtain data that will be useful for establishing appropriate childcare support services for communities. Questionnaires that included items on living conditions of the family, situation of the mother, situation of the father, and opinions on child-raising were sent to the administrators of day nurseries and kindergartens in Aomori Prefecture and Hokkaido to be given to 2800 mothers of children attending the day nurseries and kindergartens (400 mothers in Hokkaido and 2400 mothers in Hokkaido). Responses were received from 2287 of the 2800 mothers (from 341 of the mothers in Aomori and from 1946 of the mothers in Hokkaido) (response rate : 81.7%), and data from these questionnaires were used for analysis. The results of analysis revealed that the factors causing regional difference in birth rates are difference in family composition, difference in housing situations, increase in number of late marriages, differences in relationships between blood relatives and between residents of communities, difference in childcare support services, and difference in levels of consciousness of childcare. Since the decline in birth rate is accelerating with the increase in magnitude of regional difference in birth rates, efforts should be made to improve child-raising support services that are appropriate for each community. Local governments must take measures to establish easy-to-use chilcare support services in order to increase the birth rate.

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The purpose of this study was to enhance the quality of data by using focus group interviews for "Health Japan 21". The subjects were 60 residents who lived in one of the big city of Chubu area. 8 focus group interviews were set for 1) pregnant women and caregivers, 2) residents from 20 to 29 year of age, 3) residents from 30 to 44 year of age, 4) residents from 45 to 64 year of age, 5) healthy residents over 59, 6) healthy elderly living alone, 7) frail elderly, and 8) residents having some preventive disease. The results were as follows. 1) requirements were emerged as empowerment for healthy/active life with safe/comfortable environment by utilize information system effectively, 2) group dynamics pulled the trigger of meaningful data gathering, and motivated participants to be one of the member of developing "Health Japan 21". Further research must be done to clarify the effective dynamics among the various settings of focus group interview.

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The author interviewed to a couple who gave birth and brings up their child with Down syndrome. They had amniocentesis for advanced-age pregnancy and were diagnosed 21trisomy. Having been much worried, three weeks later, they decided to give birth to the baby. When they decided to give birth, the doctor, nurses and midwife, congratulating such a decision, backed up the couple appropriately. Their three-years-old daughter is going to day nursery near their home. She is happy, being loved by her parents, grandfather, many friends, nursery teachers and members of the self-help group. Nowadays the prenatal diagnosis is common to any industrialized nations. If a couple get to know their abnormality, they must decide to give birth or not in a short time. Therefore, they should need appropriate counseling before and after the decision. However, it is pointed out that there is little chance to dear to give birth and bring up any abnormal baby because of the lack of encouragement through counseling and the lack of care system for those who make such a decision. The experience of the couple would provide an important information for medical, co-medical and social workers.

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