Objective: To explore factors related to the sense of achievement in their parental role among parents with a 3-year-old child and to suggest future child-rearing support.

Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-reported questionnaire survey. Multiple linear regression analyses were carried out, with the sense of achievement in their role as parents as the dependent variable, and demographic factors, father's child-rearing support behaviors (emotional support to his spouse, child-rearing and housework support), parent-child interaction, etc., as independent variables.

Results: The study population consisted of 113 fathers and 144 mothers with three-year-old children who visited a ward B health center in city A in 2012. Fathers of three-year-old children with a higher sense of achievement in their parental role were significantly more likely to give higher emotional support to their spouse, have older children and have the feeling of child-rearing going as planned. Mothers of three-year-old children with a higher sense of achievement in their parental role were significantly more likely to have higher emotional support from their spouse, more interaction with any children before birth, and higher subjective health.

Conclusion: This study revealed factors related to a higher sense of achievement in the parental role of mothers and fathers. To enhance the sense of achievement in the parental role for both parents, it is important to promote fathers' participation in child rearing and to encourage fathers to give emotional support to their spouse such as by having more marital conversations or respecting his spouse's feelings.

Purposes: To understand the care conditions provided for preschool children by grandmothers in their 60s, and clarify the relationship between care conditions and fatigue.

Method: An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was given to 2,553 women in their 60s. The surveyed items were subjects' basic attributes, conditions of care for their grandchildren and the Cumulative Fatigue Symptoms Index (8 CFSI characteristics). The analysis shared an object with “group without everyday care” and “there was everyday care of my grandchild, group (my grandmother)”. Then the attribute and 8 special qualities of CFSI were compared.

Results: The collection rate was 36.5% (932/2,553), of which 46.2% (431/932) had grandchildren and 24.8% (231/932) were involved in care for preschool-aged grandchildren. No significant differences were found in subject attributes or 8 CFSI characteristics (p＜ .05) between those with and without involvement in childcare. 8 CFSI characteristics of grandmothers involved in childcare were related to having a job, back pain, going out regularly, health consciousness, motivation for childcare, differences in childrearing principles, and burden of childcare, and the number of years involved in care for grandchildren.

Conclusion: It was suggested that for the continued involvement of grandmothers in childcare, consideration of specific support for the burden of childcare, and support to help improve back pain and other chronic diseases and increase health consciousness are necessary.

Purpose: This study focused on loneliness and related factors among elderly caregivers of frail elderly.

Method: An anonymous questionnaire was distributed to 313 at-home caregivers over the age of 65. It included questions on the parameters of caregivers and the basic attributes of care receivers, using the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, the LSNS-6 scale, and the individual or social status of caregivers.

Results: The number of valid responses was 104 (89.7%) of 116 respondents (37.1%). The average age of the respondents was 74.2±6.3 years,and included 73.1% women and 26.9% men. The average score on the UCLA Loneliness Scale was 38.8±10.1. The scores differed significantly based on the characteristics of subjective feelings about health,the ability to go out, participation in community activities,and being satisfied with economic status, family support, neighbors, or professionals. A multiple regression analysis indicated that factors significantly related to the Loneliness Scale score were being addressed by professional support, economic status, and participation in community activities.

Discussion: To prevent loneliness in elderly caregivers, it is important to assess the availability of support professionals and level of economic status, and take actions to support community activities.

Aim: The aim of this study was to implement Pervasive Program of Health Guidance for Lifestyle Diseases Prevention in two companies, and to explain the effectiveness of the program.

Method: The Pervasive Program of Health Guidance for Lifestyle Diseases Prevention was developed and implemented in two companies and its effectiveness in the two companies was explained as a way of aiming to improve the health of an entire group by establishing a structure whereby participants among the group attend a health class and transfer their learning to the non-participants. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of this program, a self-administered survey was conducted with all employees to assess changes in health-related motivation and interest, changes in lifestyle behaviors, change in stages of behavior modification, and acceptance of learning related to the workshop content.

Results: Among the participants of the health workshops in each company, there were positive improvements in motivation and interest, with over 70% of participants responding that they “increased their new health-related knowledge”, and “became interested in health”. However, no significant changes were evident in lifestyle behaviors or stages of behavior modification. The percentage of health workshop non-participants replying that the health workshops had led to changes in their motivation and interest was approximately 20% in Company A, and approximately 10% in Company B. There was a clear difference in the results of the two companies with respect to whether non-participants had been shown or had heard about the learning content of the health workshops, with significantly higher results in Company A.

Discussion: It can be claimed that this program was effective to a certain degree in terms of increasing knowledge among health workshop participants, nurturing their interest, and improving their motivation, but with the small number of participants, it could only suggest the possibility of a pervasive effect of education for non-participants. Henceforward, we have research and explore factors contributing to differences in such situational health workshops.

Purpose: The purpose was to clarify initiatives by housing complex residents' associations for preventing elderly from experiencing solitary death and gain suggestions for nursing.

Method: The subjects were 3 presidents of 3 residents' associations fundamentally involved in initiatives supporting the elderly, including preventing isolation and solitary death among elderly living alone in housing complexes. This qualitative descriptive study analyzed data collected through semi-structured interviews.

Results/Conclusion: This study was comprised of 4 categories: difficulties of intervening based on individual circumstances, monitoring of elderly by trial and error, mutually cooperative relationships developed among residents, and organizational capabilities of residents' associations. Though difficulties of intervening based on individual circumstances exist in housing complexes, commissioned welfare volunteers and paid volunteers monitored elderly by trial and error through “a system of monitoring activities,” and residents' associations implemented initiatives to prevent solitary death. A campaign by residents' associations encouraging courteous interaction progressed until mutually cooperative relationships developed among residents through “ties between residents and elderly” and “assistance provided by neighbors familiar with the elderly's lifestyles.” The organizational capabilities of residents' associations, including “residents who helped monitor elderly” and “systems unique to residents' associations,” supported initiatives to prevent solitary death among the elderly. Such activities by residents' associations in housing complexes are not only initiatives for preventing solitary death, but also lead to regional revitalization and community rebuilding in the metropolitan area, suggesting that interventions by nursing professionals in social-participation settings for the elderly are potential opportunities for early detection of individuals requiring nursing care and the need for support.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of health factors and diet by each stage of transtheoretical model (TTM) of health behavior change among urban residents in the meridian of life and to consider the future direction of lifestyle-related disease prevention.

Method: We conducted a self-completed questionnaire survey by mail in A city among general citizens aged 40-64 years. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, stage of TTM, health factors and diet.

Results: We received 569 completed questionnaires (response rate 19.0%, valid response rate 97.1%). Average age was 56.6 ± 7.0 years old. Percentage of females was 60.6%. Percentage of each stage of TTM was Preparation stage 31.1%, Precontemplation stage 26.5%, Maintenance stage 17.6% and Action stage 9.8%. Significantly related factors to stage of TTM were age, abdominal girth, Body Mass Index (BMI), sense of well-being, healthy life-style behavior, support to diet and ecology of eating. People in the Contemplation and Preparation stage had higher BMI than people in other stages, people in the Maintenance stage had a significantly higher score of ecology of eating than people in Precontemplation, Contemplation and Preparation stage.

Discussion: These results suggested that nurses' support appropriate for characteristics of health factors and diet by each stage of TTM is needed for modifying health behavior. Because people in both Contemplation and Preparation stage have a substantial need for assistance in health factors and diet, it is specifically essential for nurses and targets and to improve healthy life-style behavior, support to diet and ecology of eating.

Background and purpose: Department of discharge planning has become popular in general hospitals in Japan. In addition, the ward nurses in charge of discharge planning (NCDP) might be effective to encourage the ward nurses' commitment to discharge planning activities. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of hospitals with NCDP and the difference of discharge planning activity with and without NCDP among the hospitals with a Department of discharge planning and Discharge planning nurse.

Method: This is a secondary analysis using the data of the nationwide survey of general hospitals with more than 100 beds. The targets of this analysis were hospitals with discharge planning departments and discharge planning nurses. The characteristics of the hospital and discharge planning activity of ward nurses were compared between those with and without NCDP.

Results: Among the 468 hospitals, 213 (45.9%) hospitals had NCDP. In hospitals providing highly specialized medical treatment, such as hospitals specializing in cancer, NCDP tended more to be assigned. Compared to the hospitals not having NCDP, the rate of at which ward nurses are carrying out “making discharge plan sheets”, “finding and negotiation of available social resource and system for patient and the family”, “conducting conference discussing discharge plan soon after admission” and “having guidelines and flow charts describing the procedure of discharge planning” were significantly higher in hospitals with NCDP.

Discussion: The possibility of active participations of ward nurse in discharge planning is higher with the assignment of NCDP to a ward.