Purpose: The purpose of this study was to clarify the identification and support of socially high-risk pregnant women by public health nurses.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine public health nurses engaged in maternal and child health care. Qualitative and descriptive analysis were employed using the data that was obtained.

Results: 5 core categories, 15 categories and 38 subcategories were extracted. Public health nurses identified the risk level and sought support for all pregnant women living in the community while searching for the possibility of socially high-risk pregnant women. Pregnant women were provided with connected support early in pregnancy. On the other hand, they felt the difficulty of early detection Socially high-risk women and the limitations of continuous support.

Conclusion: The point of the screening sheet differed depending on the administrative agency, and had influenced regional characteristics. However, it was difficult to identify using screening sheets alone, and the experience and observation points of public health nurses providing support had an influence.

It is necessary to strengthen the close interprofessional and interorganizational coordination to provide social support. It was suggested that it is necessary to develop the policy-making skills of public health nurses to manage various social supports for mother and child.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the relationship between the cognitive appraisal of job stress and mental health among care workers.

Methods: We conducted an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire survey on care workers from seven social welfare corporations. The survey items covered basic attributes, cognitive appraisal of stress experienced on the job and in the workplace, and mental health as measured using the K6 scale. We examined the fit of the causal model of cognitive appraisal of job stress and mental health to the data using structural equation modeling (SEM). We assumed a bifactor model as the factor structure for job stress among care workers.

Results: Statistical analysis using SEM revealed that 1) the assumed causal and factor models fit the data, 2) the assumed general factor of job stress, as well as three out of the four group factors—cognitive appraisal of stress on job quantity and quality, cognitive appraisal of stress in relationships with users, and cognitive appraisal of stress in workplace relationships —were related to mental health.

Discussion: The findings provide important information for measures related to the preservation and promotion of mental health among care workers and the prevention of care recipient abuse.

1. Background

Minori Kai, a diabetes support group established in 1966, has been actively working to strengthen patients’ social connections among them as well as with medical staff to prevent loneliness and social isolation and reinforce their health literacy from the perspective of health promotion. We validate the meaning of the patient support group today.

2. Methods

(1) Search procedure

We conducted a quantitative analysis of the data collected from a questionnaire-based survey of members in 2018 and performed a qualitative analysis based on it. The state (e.g., clinical features and event participation frequency) of all members in 2023 was also investigated, and an additional analysis of newly joined members after the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted.

3. Results

(1) As of June 2023, there were 107 male and 79 female members with mean ages of 68.5 ± 11.1 and 72.7 ± 11.2 years, respectively. There was no significant difference in the distribution ratios of both sexes in terms of the treatment method. The sex ratio of members was similar to that of the entire diabetic outpatient population. The high event participation rate of men demonstrated that our activity is easy for them to join.

(2) The health literacy level among members who read the entire monthly magazines of the Japan Association for Diabetes Education and Care was significantly higher than among those who did not read or read less.

(3) No positive correlation was detected between health literacy level and event participation frequency, both of which are independently important for health promotion.

(4) Qualitative data analysis targeting members who were isolated from regional society for various reasons revealed that they found a place of their own in the group.

(5) During the COVID-19 pandemic, new members living alone accounted for a larger percentage than those who became members before the pandemic.

4. Conclusion

Our research on the health literacy and social connection of members demonstrated that the patient support group plays a vital role in their health promotion.

Background: An “educational curriculum open to society” in collaboration and cooperation with the local community is desirable in order to enhance education in schools, including education on disaster prevention. Previous research has revealed that social capital, a concept that corresponds to local educational resources and relationships, fosters disaster prevention awareness, but there is insufficient research on the relationship between social capital and disaster prevention awareness in the context of disaster prevention education in schools.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to reveal how social capital is related to the disaster prevention awareness and behavior of junior high school students.

Method: A questionnaire survey was conducted among junior high school students in the town of Yuasa, Arita District, Wakayama Prefecture. The survey items were basic information, disaster prevention awareness and behavior, and social capital. Multiple regression analysis was conducted on the data of 286 subjects, with social capital as the explanatory variable and disaster prevention awareness and behavior as the objective variable.

Results: The adjusted multiple regression analysis with disaster prevention goods as the objective variable R² showed the lowest value (.030). The explanatory variable that showed the most significant relationship with the objective variable was local volunteers. Bonding social capital showed a significant positive standardized coefficient for community-led disaster prevention.

Discussion: This study suggested the necessity for in-school education to take on the role of providing disaster prevention learning related to cognitive areas that may not be covered by social capital. It is also desirable to develop education on disaster prevention so that bonding social capital does not become dependent on public assistance for disaster prevention.