Objectives

  High gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with perinatal risks to mother and child. Research shows that non-Japanese Asian women have higher GWG than Japanese women. However, no studies have compared GWG in these two populations using GWG recommendations in accordance with Japanese and Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines. The study aim was to compare GWG in non-Japanese Asian and Japanese pregnant women.

Methods

  This was a retrospective observational study. All participants were aged ≥20 years and gave birth between September 2019 and the end of October 2020 at one perinatal medical center in Japan. Medical record data were analyzed for 170 non-Japanese Asian and 316 Japanese pregnant women. We used t-tests and chi-square tests to examine differences in age, parity, smoking status, antenatal checkups, pre-pregnancy body mass index, and GWG. Logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for above- and below-recommended GWG by non-Japanese Asian and Japanese status. We also analyzed differences in delivery type, abnormal blood loss, and birth size according to GWG.

Results

  After adjustment for confounding factors, the multivariable-adjusted OR and 95% CI for GWG above the Japanese guidelines recommendations was 1.86 (1.23-2.81) and that for GWG above IOM guidelines recommendations was 2.46 (1.45-4.16) for non-Japanese Asian women, as compared with Japanese women. Conversely, the multivariable-adjusted OR and 95% CI for GWG below Japanese guidelines recommendations was 1.55 (1.03-2.32) and that for GWG below IOM guidelines recommendations was 1.87 (1.26-2.76) for Japanese women, compared with non-Japanese Asian women.

Conclusion

  Because Japanese women tend to be below recommended GWG and non-Japanese Asian women tend to be above recommended GWG, midwives need to provide careful guidance to reduce perinatal risks.

Objectives

  To clarify the transition process of Brazilian mothers of children with developmental disorders residing in Japan from “mothers raising healthy children” to “mothers raising children with developmental disorders within the Japanese healthcare and welfare system.”

Methods

  We conducted semi-structured interviews of 11 Brazilian mothers who raised their children for at least 1 year after the children were diagnosed having developmental disabilities.According to an interview guide we prepared, the mothers were requested to talk regarding raising their children and treatment and education after they suspected that their children had developmental disabilities and regarding the changes in their views about the same. The interviews were analyzed using a modified Grounded Theory Approach (M-GTA).

Results and discussions

  The average age of the research participants was 37.4 years. The children’s age ranged between 2 to 8 years. All the children had an autism spectrum disorder.

  Mothers began «suspecting» that their children exhibited developmental problems around the age of 1.5 years. Some mothers experienced a sense of «diving into turmoil» when diagnosis of autism was given. Since before the diagnosis, mothers experienced a persistent and «ongoing emotional pain due to their children’s disorder». Meeting people they can trust «provided them with the support to become stronger», and were ready to do anything for their children; in other words, they became akin to [superwomen for their children].

  This process was similar to that observed in a previous study involving Japanese mothers. A short time between the initial suspicion of their children’s development and the first clinical examination and taking actions toward a diagnosis, in other words, “impatience,” were characteristics of Brazilians mothers.

Conclusions

  The transition process of Brazilians mothers was similar to that of Japanese mothers, with some distinct characteristics. Managing impatience, providing intervention after a diagnosis, and seeking support from others will promote this transition.

Introduction

  Recently, the number of foreign residents residing in Japan has increased. The purpose of this study was to describe the backgrounds of public health nurses (PHNs) who encounter the cultural differences and their resultant difficulties while providing maternal and child health (MCH) services to foreign residents in a metropolitan area of Japan.

Methods

  Questionnaires were administered to PHNs working at local health centers in a metropolitan area. Information about the backgrounds and working areas of the PHNs were extracted from descriptive statistics. The χ2- test, Fisher’s exact test, and the Mann-Whitney U test were conducted to analyze their experiences of and difficulties caused by cultural differences.

Results

  A total of 265 PHNs completed the survey (response rate: 17.7%), among whom, 246 (92.8%) responded that they had encountered difficulties due to cultural differences while providing MCH services to foreign residents, and 212 (80.0%) responded that they had faced difficulties caused by cultural differences in general. Significant differences were found in experiences of cultural differences, the length of each PHN’s professional career and his or her MCH activities, the presence of continual concerns from foreign residents, and the list of MCH activities that required English or another language, as well as the accurate interpretation of these languages. The size of the foreign residents population was a significant cause of difficulties resulting from different cultural experiences. Few PHNs were able to interpret languages effectively at any time (10.6%), and only 3.0% were able to implement the training provided by their center.

Conclusions

  PHNs who work in areas with a high proportion of foreign residents face significant difficulties. However, it is possible that all PHNs face difficulties irrespective of their language ability and overseas experiences.

Introduction

  Asahikawa Medical University has been conducting a JICA Knowledge Co-Creation Program (KCCP) “Health Administration for Community Health Officers in Africa” in Japan since 2008. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the KCCP in 2020 was a hybrid of distance learning and following on-site training in Japan, which the latter was canceled thereafter. This paper reports on how this hybrid program was organized and implemented.

Methods: Preparation

  The program was held in January-February 2021, with eight official participants from five countries and nine observers from two countries. The participants were required to engage in self-learning by PowerPoint materials with lecturers’ audio descriptions and zoom-based interactive meetings. The PowerPoint materials were freely accessible at our Google Drive account. There were 10 zoom sessions during the program.

Results: Implementation

  At the beginning, all the lecture materials were converted to mp4 clips and uploaded to a Youtube channel due to the difficulties downloading heavy files with limited internet connection. A total of 24 videos were created with an average length of 58 minutes in each. Zoom-based interactive meetings were held regularly in the morning in the African continent. Almost all of the sessions were productive, but the participants were sometimes interrupted due to a weak network environment or their regular work assignments. Most provided contents were well understood.

Discussion

  Despite some technical and environmental difficulties, the new-style, web-based training course facilitated the participation of observers as well as regular participants, providing more opportunities for interaction and discussion among trainees than a previous old-fashioned, on-site program. Improvement of the training environment particularly for participants is necessary to produce better training outcomes in the future, such as renting a hotel room and securing virtual connections.