Objective: This study aims to review domestic literature on self-care among family caregivers in Japan and elucidate family caregiver self-care behaviors, related factors, and anticipated outcomes.

Methods: We selected and analyzed 17 articles indexed on Ichushi-Web up to September 2023.

Results: The content of self-care can be categorized into three themes: “Building a Foundation for Healthy Living,” “Avoiding Burdening Care,” and “Enhancing the Quality of Life.” The related factors can be categorized into three themes: “Physical and Mental Health Issues,” “Intensity of Care Burden,” and “Availability of Social Support.” Anticipated outcomes can be categorized into three themes: “Improved Physical and Mental Health,” “Continuation of Home-based Care,” and “Enhanced Subjective Well-being.”

Discussion: The practice of self-care among family caregivers is not only conducive to the maintenance of their own physical and mental well-being and the sustainability of home care but is also believed to contribute to the caregivers experiencing a heightened sense of happiness in their immediate surroundings. Nursing professionals play a crucial role in conducting a multidimensional assessment of the physical and mental well-being of family caregivers, the severity of their illnesses, the extent of the caregiving burden, and the availability of social support, and providing support is essential.

Objective: The study’s aim was to clarify the overall picture of childhood and adolescent eating habits, the factors that influence those habits, and the habits that should be emphasized to advance the health of infants, young children, and elementary school, middle school, high school, and college students.

Methods: A total of 61 references were examined in the analysis using Ichushi-Web version 5. Participant eating habits, behaviors, and related factors were extracted, coded, subcategorized, and categorized. The characteristics of the classification were compared by participant.

Results: A total of 463 codes were extracted and classified into 20 categories and 101 subcategories. The extracted eating habits, behaviors, and related factors reflected the characteristics of each participant’s developmental stage. Of the 20 categories, 19 were common to participants across multiple stages.

Discussion: Study results demonstrated the importance of performing a gradual and continuous intervention specifically tailored to each participant’s developmental stage. This intervention should be performed, using a holistic approach, from early childhood to college age in order to achieve healthy eating habits and behaviors effectively.

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the public health nursing art (hereinafter referred to as “the skills” that compose the art) to support foreign women living in Japan from pregnancy to childbirth.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with public health nurses of local government who had experience supporting foreign women living in Japan in the area of maternal and child health, and qualitative descriptive analysis was conducted.

Results: The study participants were 17 public health nurses, and 12 categories of skills were extracted from their narratives according to the situations and needs of foreign women in Japan, namely language barriers, cultural barriers, relationship barriers, legal and institutional barriers, and vulnerabilities in the support systems. Specifically, “multiple use of face-to-face meetings to reduce language barriers,” “search for clues to overcome cultural barriers,” “side-by-side coordination to reduce relationship barriers with supporters,” “devising responses to protect the health of cases residing illegally,” and “accumulation of knowledge and experience that contributes to support for foreign residents.”

Discussion: The systematic arrangement of the skills to support foreign women in Japan from pregnancy to childbirth is expected to result in the development of skill acquisition strategies that will help future system development and contribute to seamless support.

Objective: To identify the formation of roles among public health nurses in their support of children receiving medical care and their families.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight public health nurses at a public health center in a government-designated city. The content was analyzed using a modified version of the grounded theory approach (M-GTA).

Results: Role formation among public health nurses is marked by “uncertainty about their position and confidence as public health nurses,” “hesitation to get involved due to low self-esteem,” followed by “a series of realizations that led them to support the children.” Consequently, nurses developed an “awareness of the roles of public health nurses. ” They used their strengths in community-based activities, demonstrating their abilities in such roles as providing support for children’s rehabilitation and school attendance, providing emotional support for families, and creating community networks.

Discussion: When providing medical care to children, continued support led to nurses gaining confidence and a sense of affirmation. They also recognized the core of their activities: 1) their roles as public health nurses, 2) the strengths of public health nurses, and 3) the core of their own public health nurse activities. These, in turn, became the driving forces behind role formation. For their “uncertainty” to be replaced by “an invigoration of their activities,” sharing support objectives in the workplace will be necessary in the future.

Objective: To clarify the significance of practical training as perceived by municipal public health nurses who have completed school health training in basic PHN education, as well as the attainment targets and items of practical training experience that they consider desirable.

Methods: Data were collected using the semi-structured interview method from eight municipal public health nurses with school health training, which were analyzed using qualitative descriptive analysis.

Results: For the significance of practical training, two categories were extracted: “It is beneficial to implement in basic education” and “It is beneficial to provide support to children,” and for desirable attainment targets, six categories were extracted, including “To understand (practice) the actual activities related to health in schools” and “To understand (practice) the process of developing activities from the school diagnosis.” To meet the practice experience items that help achieve the practice attainment targets, 22 codes were extracted.

Discussion: After completing school health training, public health nurses anticipated having more achievement targets and exposure to resources that would help them achieve those targets, like activities that involved identifying health challenges by considering the school as a regional unit, as well as understanding and supporting children who require special support.

Purpose: This study aimed to identify public health nurses’ childcare support skills for women with mental illness (from pregnancy to childcare for three years).

Methods: Individual interviews were conducted with seven public health nurses with more than six years of experience supporting prenatal women and mothers with mental illness. The interviews were then analyzed qualitatively and descriptively.

Results: The following categories were generated as childcare support techniques: “postpartum preparation with anticipation of pregnancy complications,” “assessing and judging the mother’s medical condition and child-rearing ability to continue raising the child safely,” “establishing a multiagency environment that promotes the child’s healthy growth and development,” “assisting the mother to build a relationship of trust and supporting her by being aware of her needs,” “empowering the mother’s life skills to promote her recovery.”

Discussion: Public health nurses provided support by taking advantage of their strengths, such as observing how postpartum medical conditions deteriorate during pregnancy, managing medical conditions to continue safe childcare, and possessing a perspective that promotes the growth and development of the child.

Objective: The study’s objective was to identify trends and findings within the research on healthy community development conducted by public health nurses in Japan.

Methods: A scoping review of 30 studies was conducted within the literature on healthy community development by public health nurses.

Results: The largest number of papers was published in 2018. The scoping review found that the largest number of studies focused on “public health nursing techniques and support contents” (15 studies). Among the other studies, five studies examined the definitions and conceptualizations of “community development” and “community strengths” as related to healthy community development; five studies focused on the “development of evaluation scales related to community health activities.” Four studies focused on “characteristics and changes of residents who participated in community health activities.” Only one study, entitled “Conditions for the promotion of healthy community development,” was found to promote healthy community development.

Discussion: Research into the promotion and evaluation of healthy community development measures has not progressed satisfactorily. The study suggested the need for future research into the promotion and evaluation of sustainable, effective, and efficient healthy community-development measures.