Objective: This study aimed to explore the liaison and coordination characteristics among community sports leaders. The study findings are expected to contribute to the promotion of regional sports programs in urban areas in Japan.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 community sports leaders from three municipalities in Tokyo, Japan from November to December 2020. During the interviews, we asked the community sports leaders about their activities and their role as coordinators in the community. KH Coder software was used to analyze the gathered data, and co-occurrence networks were created from the interview transcripts. In addition, a qualitative content analysis approach developed by Mayring was used to name subcategories and categories.

Results: We extracted 1,601 words or phrases from the text data. Of these, “various” appeared most frequently, followed by “community sports leaders,” “communities,” “schools,” “children,” and “elementary schools.” Forty-two codes identified as liaison and coordination characteristics among community sports leaders were grouped into 18 subcategories. Seven categories were then abstracted: utilization of social resources, project development, motivation, negotiation, organization, organic cooperation, and continued collaboration.

Conclusion: This study confirmed that community sports leaders emphasize the development of a cooperative organization among the community sports leaders, as well as independent outreach programs for the community through interaction with people outside the organization. It is posited that these characteristics produce a coordination function for the promotion of local government programs.

Objective: To examine the relationship of meal consumption consisting of grain, fish and meat, and vegetable dishes to self-rated health among Japanese adults.

Methods: Data were obtained from the 2017 survey, “The Survey of Attitude toward Shokuiku,” by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries of Japan (with a national representative sample of 3,000 people). Cross-sectional data from 1,779 adults (796 men and 983 women) were analyzed. The frequency of eating two or more meals consisting of grain, fish and meat, and vegetable dishes a day was self-reported as daily, 4–5 days/week, and less than or equal to 2–3 days/week. The association between the frequency of eating meals consisting of grain, fish and meat, and vegetable dishes and “good” or “somewhat good” self-rated health was evaluated using adjusted logistic regression analysis. Model 1 was adjusted for age, living status, and employment status. Model 2 was adjusted for variables in Model 1 plus subjective time availability. Model 3 was adjusted for variables in Model 1 plus subjective economic status as a covariate.

Results: In Models 2 and 3, daily consumption of two balanced meals was associated with good self-rated health (odds ratio [95% confidence interval] Model 2: men=1.86 [1.27–2.71], women=2.07 [1.43–3.02]; Model 3: men=1.71 [1.16–2.51], women=1.82 [1.24–2.66]).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that the daily consumption of at least two meals consisting of grain, fish and meat, and vegetable dishes is associated with good self-rated health.

Objective: The Nutrition Education Committee of the Japanese Society of Health Education and Promotion summarized the necessities for investigations and evaluations on food in schools from field study and activity in open workshops.

Description: Field survey: From November 2018 to January 2019, we conducted an anonymous self-administered questionnaire survey (valid response rate: 37.4%) on 262 nutrition teachers and school nutrition staff in Gunma, Tochigi, Chiba, Saitama, and Hiroshima. We examined the implementation status of investigations and evaluations on food. Additionally, we qualitatively analyzed free responses on “what you think is necessary to improve the system.” Many in the group, with an established system, evaluated food and nutrition education plans [OR (95%CI): 4.70 (1.68, 13.19)]. As necessities for system development, nine categories were extracted from the group with an established system and eight categories from the group without an established system, such as organization and system preparation, integration into the curriculum, cooperation with managers and other teachers. Case studies: In facilities with an established system that make their own school lunches or that have them made at a school lunch center, members had clear roles in the food and nutrition education promotion organization and were able to cooperate.

Conclusion: To investigate and evaluate in relation to food, it is necessary to (1) develop systems inside and outside school, (2) position food and nutrition education within the curriculum, (3) cooperate with managers and teaching and administrative staff, (4) secure time and labor for investigation and evaluation, and (5) construct tabulation systems.

In Toyota City, based on the health data collected from each junior high school district (gathered as health data chart), a Community Wellness Project for health promotion is implemented according to the characteristics of the area in cooperation with the residents.

In this effort, a public health nurse is assigned for each junior high school district who will work with the aim of creating a healthy community and building a relationship of trust with the residents, basing on a PDCA cycle of ①regional diagnosis, ②holding community meetings to discuss health issues, ③development of strategies to improve community health, ④implementation of health promotion projects based on the plan and ⑤evaluation of health action.

As a result, several health indicators as well the residents’ independence have improved, engendering the social capital and reinforcing cooperation that led to greater efforts on the promotion of health encompassing actions at community levels.

The significance of this project is that with the ‘health data chart’ and the ‘creation of a community health promotion plan,’ it makes easy for both the government and the community to understand health issues and objectives, implementation details, division of roles and achievements. Consequently, the resident participation in the project improves, and it can easily lead to dissemination of health knowledge and behavior modification. It is also possible to see a collaboration between the related organizations without the mediation of a public health nurse, leading to an increase in the number of persons not only participating in community projects but also becoming supporters, thus a larger number of people living healthily can be expected.