Objective : The aim of this study was to clarify clues obtained at a 2-week postpartum checkup for a midwife to determine the need for mental and emotional health support for a first-time parenting mother.

Methods : Qualitative descriptive research with semi-structured one-to-one interviews was conducted for 13 midwives who conducted 2-week postpartum checkups in Japan.

Results : The main clues reported by the midwives for determining the need for mental support were （1） different clothes than usual worn by the mother, （2） state of packing and preparation by the mother for the checkup, （3） mother’s facial expressions and speech tendencies, （4） relationship of support recipients and support givers and （5） feelings shown by the mother for the baby.

Conclusions : At the 2-week postpartum checkup, midwives assessed the mother’s mental and emotional health using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Questionnaire （EPDS）. The midwives also took note of the mother’s attire and the behavior of the mother when entering the checkup room and they assessed the need for mental support through conversation with the mother and observations of the mother’s responses to her baby. The clues revealed in this study should lead to accurate judgment of the need for mental health support through having an understanding of the mother by providing continuous support from the time of pregnancy until delivery and through the postpartum period. The results of this study indicate the importance of continuous care provided by midwives.

　Objective : The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between reasons for not undergoing cervical cancer screening and the intention to undergo screening in the future among female nursing university students.

Methods : A questionnaire survey was conducted for female nursing students enrolled at a university in Japan. The survey was conducted using Microsoft Forms in September and October in 2023. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Tokushima University Hospital.

Results : Data from 233 students were analyzed. Knowledge regarding cervical cancer and screening was significantly higher among 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-year students compared with 1st-year students （p = 0.001, p < 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively）. Among the 233 students, 148 were aged 20 years or older, and of these, 18.2% had a history of cervical cancer screening. The screening rate was 22.6% among students in the 3rd year and above. Among students without a history of screening, those who did not intend to undergo screening in the future had significantly higher 'concerned about bleeding' （p = 0.04） and 'it does not concern me as a young person' （p = 0.02） responses than those who intended to undergo screening in the future.

Conclusions : To promote cervical cancer screening, it is important to raise awareness with a focus on preconception care, enabling individuals to recognize their future risk of cervical cancer. Furthermore, expanding the content of current informational leaflets to include more details about bleeding and its management could help alleviate concerns. Continuous outreach through smartphones targeting both young women and their mothers, as well as further improvements to the screening provision system to improve accessibility, are necessary to ensure greater participation.