Objectives This study was performed to examine job stressors, job readiness, and subjective health status as factors associated with intentions to leave among newly graduated nurses (NGNs) in advanced treatment hospitals in Japan.
Methods From June to August 2007, anonymous self-administered questionnaires were distributed to all NGNs in nine advanced treatment hospitals. The questionnaire items addressed individual attributes, employment characteristics, organizational characteristics, the 22-item Job Content Questionnaire, a novel job readiness scale, and scales for subjective health status (cumulative fatigue and psychological distress) and intentions to leave. The response rate was 73% (n=414), and 377 completed questionnaire data sets from eight hospitals were analyzed. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to investigate the factors associated with intentions to leave and subjective health status.
Results The results of hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed 55% of the variance in intentions to leave. “orientation as nurse,” subjective health status influenced by psychological job demand, and “supervisor support” were important independent factors of intentions to leave. Psychological job demand and job readiness were also important factors of subjective health status.
Conclusion To intervene in early resignation of NGNs, job stressors should be minimized to improve subjective health status, while simultaneously raising job readiness.

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Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychological implications of emotionally enriching childbirth experiences for problems such as awareness of motherhood, postnatal depression, and parenting stress among women after childbirth.
Method All women who gave birth at five study centers (four birthing homes and one maternity hospital) during May 2002 and August 2003 were asked to participate in the cohort study. All 2,314 women were approached and 1,004 eligible women agreed to take part. Analyses were conducted using a baseline survey and four follow-up surveys conducted at 4 months, 9 months, 2 and a half years, and 3 years after childbirth. The questionnaire included four scales to evaluate the subjects' childbirth experiences, awareness of motherhood, postnatal depression, and parenting stress and difficulties. Data were collected via structured interviews and transcription from medical records.
Results Bivariate and multivariate analysis indicated that women who had good childbirth experiences had positive feelings concerning motherhood and parenting stress and anxiety were lower. Bivariate analysis also indicated that childbirth experience had an inverse relationship with postnatal depression.
Conclusions This study revealed that having good childbirth experiences inhibits negative awareness of motherhood and abusive behavior towards children. These results show that it is important for mothers to be provided with appropriate care during pregnancy and labor for preventing child abuse and parenting stress and anxiety. More research is needed to identify the determinants of childbirth experiences and to make specific recommendations for appropriate care and intervention.

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Purpose The aim of this study was to examine ambulance usage due to fall accidents in Kochi City.
Method The survey period was one year, from Januaryto December, 2005. A total of 967 ambulance responses to fall accidents were recorded by the Kochi Fire department during this period. Ambulance responses to fall accidents were analyzed in terms of sex, age, time, and place of fall. Adults were defined as subjects between the ages of 18 and 64; elderly adults were defined as being 65 or older.
Results The number of ambulance responses per a population sample of 1,000 people was 1.32 cases in adults (men 1.55, women 1.11) and 10.48 cases in elderly adults (men 9.14, women 11.32). The proportion of outdoor falls for adults was 60.8%, for women and 56.8% for men. Therespective values for elderly adults were 54.9% and 36.6%. The majority of elderly adult women fell down indoors. More falls occurred in winter (from December to February) than in the other seasons. There were more falls in December than other months.
Conclusion Fall incidence varies according to sex, age and season. We can conclude that the causes and places of falls are related to physical activity and season. Fire department ambulance records can be utilized to analyze fall situation in local areas. Such analyses should lead to new approaches to fall prevention measures.

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