Objectives　The Committee on Public Health Nursing (2017–2018) of the Japanese Society of Public Health aimed to elucidate the competencies of public health and public health nursing to provide basic materials for public health, public health nursing education, practice, and research.

Methods　We studied the core competencies of public health professionals and public health nursing in the United States and examined similarities to and differences from those in Japan.

Results　The United States and Japan shared similar public health and public health nursing competencies in that they targeted populations, identified health problems, and clarified health challenges for effective actions. However, differences were noted in the understanding of target groups, perspectives for identifying health problems and overcoming health challenges, and conceptualization of individuals in populations. In public health, the target population practiced clear boundaries, such as residing in certain geographical areas and ethnic groups, among others. In health challenges, the top-down approach was employed to resolve health problems in certain populations. The individual was recognized as a part of a population composed of a certain group. In public health nursing, target population (e.g., from individuals/families to groups/communities/social groups) were understood in a continuous and multilayered manner. Individual/family health problems were associated with the characteristics of groups, communities, and social groups that encompass the continuum. Moreover, health challenges were addressed in a manner oriented toward the transformation of social groups as a whole. Public health nursing competencies in both countries, which share many similarities, were developed to achieve the objectives of public health. In the United States, the competencies and skills considered necessary, such as analytical/assessment and cultural competency skills, were clearly expressed and constructed in line with the core competencies of public health professionals. However, in Japan, skills and abilities necessary as competencies in public health nursing mentioned above were not specified.

Conclusion　Elucidating the core competencies of public health professionals in Japan is essential to develop human resources that can contribute to effective practices in public health and public health nursing. Toward this end, skills and abilities necessary as competencies in public health nursing in Japan, which were not previously verbalized, should be described in detail.

Objectives　Japan has a high prevalence of low back pain among older adults requiring long-term care, which results in increasing expenses; therefore, prevention measures are necessary. This study aimed to examine the relationship between low back pain and physical activity and sitting time according to sex and age (65–74 years [young-old adults]; ≥75 years [old-old adults]) who had not received long-term care certification.

Methods　A self-administered survey was mailed to 7,080 adults >65 years of age residing in Tsuru City (Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan) from January to February 2018, and had not received long-term care certification. Demographic information, health status (body mass index and medical history), lifestyle (dietary habits, alcohol consumption, and smoking), presence of low back pain, physical activity, sitting time, and social participation were measured. Low back pain was evaluated by asking, “Did you experience pain in parts of the body other than the knees for the past month?” Those who answered, “experienced low back pain” were categorized as “with low back pain”. The short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was used to assess physical activity, which was categorized into three groups: <150, 150–299, and ≥300 min/week. Sitting time was divided into two groups: <480 and ≥480 min/day. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to determine the association between low back pain and physical activity and sitting time, according to sex and age.

Results　Of the 7,080 individuals surveyed, 4,877 responded (2,217 male, 2,660 female), corresponding to a response rate of 68.9%. The number of older adults with low back pain was 1,542 (31.6%) including 673 (30.4%) males and 869 (32.7%) females. The rate of low back pain in young-old adults was 29.8% and 33.6% in old-old adults. There was no significant relationship between lower back pain and physical activity among the young-old adults. In the old-old adults, there was a significant relationship in the male ≥300 min group (odds ratio [OR] 0.66 [95%CI 0.48–0.89]), and in both female 150–299 (OR 0.69 [95%CI 0.48–0.99]) and ≥300 (OR 0.59 [95%CI 0.44–0.80]) min/week groups.

Conclusion　The complaint rate for low back pain was approximately 30%, regardless of sex or age. These results suggest that interventions to prevent low back pain are necessary. Moreover, physical activity, but not sitting time, was associated with low back pain in both males and females among the old-old adults.

Objective　Mutsuzawa town, Chiba Prefecture, relocated a “health-supportive” roadside station in 2019. The underlying hypothesis is that older people who use the roadside station will have better self-rated health than those who do not use it. We aimed to verify whether roadside station use was associated with a decrease in poor self-rated health.

Method　This was a longitudinal study that compared and evaluated the roadside station use and non-use groups using three-wave panel data before and after relocation of the roadside station in September 2019. To obtain three-wave panel data, self-administered questionnaires were mailed three times: in July 2018 (FY 2018) before the station was relocated and in November 2020 (FY 2020) and January 2022 (FY 2021) after the relocation in 2019. The dependent variable was poor self-rated health in FY 2021, and the independent variable was use of the roadside station as of FY 2020. Covariates included basic characteristics from FY 2018, as well as going out, social participation, and interacting on social networks in FY 2018 and FY 2020. A multivariate analysis was conducted using multiple imputation to complete missing values for the Crude model, which included the basic attributes of FY 2018 (Model 1); going out, social participation, and interacting on social networks in FY 2018 (Model 2); and going out, social participation, and interacting on social networks in FY 2020 (Model 3). The cumulative incidence rate ratio (CIRR), 95% confidence intervals, and P-values were calculated using a modified Poisson regression analysis for each model.

Results　Of the 576 participants, 344 (59.8%) were roadside station users. The multivariate analysis adjusted for basic attributes revealed that the number of people with poor self-rated health in the user group was significantly lower than that in the non-user group, with a CIRR of 0.67 (95% confidence interval: 0.45–0.99, P=0.043). However, the adjusted model showed a CIRR of 0.71 (95% confidence interval: 0.48–1.06, P=0.096) for going out, social participation, and interacting on social networks in FY2020 after the roadside station opened.

Conclusion　Findings of this study revealed that, after adjusting for confounding factors prior to relocation of the roadside station, the number of people with poor self-rated health decreased in the user group. Thus, such commercial facilities as roadside stations, which give users an opportunity to go out and meet people, can provide a “naturally healthy” environment.

Objectives　This study aimed to identify the relevant factors related to activity satisfaction (AS) and activity burden (AB) in foster parents on the basis of sex.

Methods　A survey was conducted among 2,142 foster parents from 32 local foster parent associations. The inclusion criterion was survey respondents who had experience in raising foster children. The demographics, individual factors, and social support/capital factors were measured individually. The residential populations were examined at the municipal level. Based on previous studies, questions related to AS and AB were created using a four-item method. We performed multiple logistic regression analyses. The parents were divided into two groups based on the median total scores of AS and AB, identified as dependent variables.

Results　A total of 1,052 parents responded to the survey (response rate, 49.1%), of whom 752 had no data deficiencies and had experience in fostering children; thus, they were included in the analysis, and were divided by sex into male (n=247, 32.8%) and female (n=505, 67.2%) groups. Among the men, multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that satisfaction with the child guidance center (CGC) was a significant factor related to AS and AB. Among the women, <10 years of experience as a foster parent, experience in caring for an infant, and participation in foster parent meetings were significant factors related to AS. Having a biological child, experience of fostering children with disabilities, satisfaction with the CGC, and participation in community activities were significant factors related to AB.

Conclusion　Although factors related to AS and AB differed between men and women, satisfaction with the CGC was an important factor for both groups. This suggests that the CGC plays a crucial role in supporting foster parents. We believe that it is essential for the CGC to provide specialized support to foster parents and maintain close relationships with them.

Objectives　We compared COVID-19 prevention and control information provided to care homes (CHs) by the Kawaguchi City public health center (PHC), which utilizes our precedent advice on nfection, with the information from several local governments (LGs) in Japan. This study aimed to highlight the role of LG-associated doctors in providing information to CHs, utilizing their precedent advice on infection control in CHs and medical facilities. This study analyzed the sector and type of information the LGs should provide to CHs to prevent and control COVID-19.

Methods　We compared training sessions on COVID-19 prevention and control information provided to CHs by the Kawaguchi City PHC with training sessions offered by several other LGs in Japan that are available on their websites.

Results　The Kawaguchi City PHC has been providing COVID-19 information to CHs when needed, including prevention and control information, through their doctors, utilizing our precedent advice on infection control, management of health conditions of staff and residents, and early detection of COVID-19. In contrast, 68 LGs announced that they have provided training sessions to CHs for the prevention and control of COVID-19 through their official homepages from March to September 2022. These training sessions involved information dissemination by infection control specialist nurses (42.6%), clinic or hospital doctors (32.4%), infection control specialist doctors (11.8%), and staff from LG headquarters, PHC, or LG-associated doctors (51.5%). Among the 68 LGs, 41 provided information that included hand hygiene (95.1%), personal protective equipment (92.7%), proper ventilation (51.2%), and management of staff (90.2%) and resident (58.5%) health conditions. Furthermore, Kawaguchi City PHC and several LGs provided information for the early detection of COVID-19.

Conclusion　We suggest that LGs provide COVID-19 training sessions conducted by LG doctors that include management of staff and resident health conditions, provision of early detection information, and utilization of precedent advice on infection in CHs and medical facilities.