RÉSUMÉ
Objectives: This study examined the actual conditions of service provision to foreign residents (FRs) addressing prevention of lifestyle-related diseases (LRDs) and disaster preparedness/disaster responses (DPRs) in Japanese municipalities.Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed using a self-administered questionnaire with representatives of public health nurses in each municipality in Japan from December 2021 to January 2022.Results: Services considering FRs are more likely to be implemented in cities than in towns, and in municipalities where FRs account for ≥2.2% of the population (proportion of FRs in the Japanese population at the time of the study) than in those with fewer FRs. Cities have larger populations and greater financial resources than towns. Factors associated with the implementation of services and measures necessary for providing services to FRs were the classification of the municipality as a city, a high percentage of FRs, and large variation in corresponding nationalities/countries of origin.Conclusions: Cross-disciplinary efforts and collaborations need to be strengthened to share available resources within local governments and experiences in providing services for FRs in other divisions/sections, rather than considering only how to provide services for FRs in the public health division/section.
RÉSUMÉ
Introduction Recently, the number of foreign residents residing in Japan has increased. The purpose of this study was to describe the backgrounds of public health nurses (PHNs) who encounter the cultural differences and their resultant difficulties while providing maternal and child health (MCH) services to foreign residents in a metropolitan area of Japan.Methods Questionnaires were administered to PHNs working at local health centers in a metropolitan area. Information about the backgrounds and working areas of the PHNs were extracted from descriptive statistics. The χ2- test, Fisher’s exact test, and the Mann-Whitney U test were conducted to analyze their experiences of and difficulties caused by cultural differences.Results A total of 265 PHNs completed the survey (response rate: 17.7%), among whom, 246 (92.8%) responded that they had encountered difficulties due to cultural differences while providing MCH services to foreign residents, and 212 (80.0%) responded that they had faced difficulties caused by cultural differences in general. Significant differences were found in experiences of cultural differences, the length of each PHN’s professional career and his or her MCH activities, the presence of continual concerns from foreign residents, and the list of MCH activities that required English or another language, as well as the accurate interpretation of these languages. The size of the foreign residents population was a significant cause of difficulties resulting from different cultural experiences. Few PHNs were able to interpret languages effectively at any time (10.6%), and only 3.0% were able to implement the training provided by their center.Conclusions PHNs who work in areas with a high proportion of foreign residents face significant difficulties. However, it is possible that all PHNs face difficulties irrespective of their language ability and overseas experiences.