Implementation Degree Assessment Sheet for Health Program in Japan by Customizing CFIR: Development and Validation.

PURPOSE: More than 70% of public health nurses in Japan belong to government agencies, and there is a need for further evidence-based capacity development for program implementation. The purpose of this research was to develop an Implementation Degree Assessment Sheet (IDAS) by customizing the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to health programs in Japan. METHODS: The draft IDAS (five domains, 31 constructs) created by customizing the CFIR was refined by the researchers and modified through pre-testing. The survey covered full-time public health nurses (PHNs) affiliated to all prefectures and the cities with health centers of Japan. The survey was conducted as an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire survey by mail. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-five of the 334 institutions (55.4%) agreed to participate in our survey. Of the 966 questionnaire forms distributed, 709 forms (73.4%) were collected, of which 702 responses (72.7%) were valid. No item required consideration of deletion based on the results of item analysis, and our confirmatory factor analysis on model fitness between the five IDAS domains and CFIR showed sufficient fit indices after modification. With regard to reliability, Cronbach's coefficient alpha, a measure of internal consistency, stayed above 0.8 overall. Our verification of stability with the split-half (odd/even) method resulted in a Spearman-Brown reliability coefficient of 0.95. The correlation coefficient between the IDAS scores and the research utilization competency score, used as an external criterion, was 0.51 (p<0.001), supporting the coexistence validity of the criterion-related validity of the IDAS. The significant differences were observed between known-groups, supporting the known-group validity of the IDAS. CONCLUSION: This study developed the IDAS and confirmed constant reliability and validity. Hereafter, it is necessary to promote the required capacity development based on the actual degree of implementation in order to use the IDAS for the competency development of public health nurses and related professions to deliver health programs.

[Factors associated with willingness to undergo vaccination against haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib)].

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine factors that affect the willingness to undergo Hib vaccination and to pay (WTP) for it. METHODS: The subjects of the survey were 1,185 parents with infants attending nursery schools in Machida city, Tokyo. A total of 46.3% returned the completed questionnaire, which covered information about Hib willingness to undergo vaccination, their WTP for it, and components of the health belief model (HBM). RESULT: Approximately half (50.3%) of the respondents were willing to have vaccination. The mean WTP was 2581 JPY, and approximately 80% of those who stated their WTP were willing to pay 3000 JPY or less. Perceived susceptibility, severity, and benefits were positively correlated with the willingness to have vaccination and the WTP, while perceived economic barriers were negatively correlated. Also, WTP was positively correlated with income. CONCLUSION: In order to promote the Hib vaccination program, it is necessary to provide information based on the HBM, especially information that affects the perception of benefits of vaccination, and to take measures to reduce the level of out-of-pocket payment, considering households who have lower incomes.

Alcohol consumption and abstention among pregnant Japanese women.

BACKGROUND: In order to clarify the alcohol consumption status of pregnant women in Japan and the characteristics of pregnant women who abstained from alcohol after their pregnancy had been confirmed, a nationwide questionnaire-based study of alcohol consumption behavior was performed. We also examined the factors associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy and abstention after the confirmation of pregnancy. METHODS: After random sampling, 260 institutions participated in the survey; these were selected from a list of survey points fixed by the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The study was conducted on pregnant women with confirmed pregnancies by using self-administered anonymous questionnaires during the period from February 1 through 14, 2002. RESULTS: Alcohol consumption during pregnancy was reported in 11.1% of the study participants, and abstention after the confirmation of pregnancy, in 76.9%. Significant associations were recognized between higher education and both alcohol consumption during pregnancy and abstention after pregnancy confirmation. Furthermore, alcohol consumption was significantly associated with parity, smoking, and shorter sleep duration, whereas abstention was significantly associated with less frequent alcohol consumption and knowledge regarding the risk of alcohol consumption. CONCLUSION: The results clarified the factors associated with alcohol consumption during pregnancy and abstention after the confirmation of pregnancy in Japan.

Influences of the absence of random assignment of bids on estimating willingness to pay using a discrete-choice question.

This study examined the influences of the interaction between a bid and the respondent's characteristics due to insufficient random assignment of bids on the estimation of willingness to pay (WTP) using data from a discrete-choice question. A contingent valuation survey of 152 examinees undergoing X-ray testing for gastric cancer screening was conducted, and the median and mean WTP for the serum pepsinogen test were estimated using a logistic regression model to which the interaction terms between the bid and the respondent's characteristics, which included gender, age, annual income, frequency of prior use of a gastric cancer screening program, and perceived health, were added. There were remarkable differences in the estimated WTP according to whether the interaction term of annual income, to which the bids had failed to be assigned randomly and which had been positively correlated with the bid, was added in the model. It is suggested that it may be necessary to check if the bids were randomly assigned to the respondent's characteristics and, when correlations with the bid are found, to adjust their interaction effects.

[Changes in community health and welfare services with introduction of the long-term care insurance system in Japan].

OBJECTIVE: In Japan, a long-term care insurance system for elderly people was introduced in April, 2000. We have conducted a survey using a questionnaire in order to explore consequent changes in community health and welfare services. METHODS: We sent questionnaires to all municipal governments (671 cities, 1,991 towns, 567 villages and 23 wards) in Japan in November, 2001, and obtained replies from 441 cities (response rate: 65.7%), 800 towns (40.2%), 197 villages (34.9%), and 16 wards (69.6%). The questionnaire included questions concerning the budget and manpower for community health and welfare services, the state of the long term care insurance system, and the activities of public health nurses. RESULTS: A total of 57% of all municipal governments was found to be carrying out the long term care insurance program in collaboration with other governments. In order to clarify the changes in welfare services for elderly people from the budgetary viewpoint, we calculated the ratios of the 2000 and 2001 fiscal budgets applied for welfare services for elderly people, in comparison with the 1999 fiscal year. The budgets for elderly people declined to about 40% in 2000 and 2001 compared with 1999, since the budget for care services was transferred to the account of the long term care insurance system. The activities of public health nurses employed by municipal governments were not affected by the introduction of long term care insurance system. About 80% of all municipal governments suggested that both the amounts of care services received by each elderly people and the number of elderly people who received care services were increasing, and about 70% indicated that the quality of care services was improved with introduction of the long term care insurance system. DISCUSSION: Most municipal governments consider that introduction of the long term care insurance system has had a good influence on community health and welfare services. Moreover, our results suggest that the long term care insurance has a beneficial impact on care services themselves.

[Cost-benefit analysis of community based rehabilitation program using willingness to pay measured by the contingent valuation method].

OBJECTIVE: There have been few studies on economic evaluation of publicly provided community health services in Japan. The purpose of the present investigation was to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of a community based rehabilitation program provided by municipalities, using the willingness to pay (WTP) measured by the contingent valuation method, a survey-based approach to measure the monetary valuation for the benefit. METHODS: The study was held in 18 wards of Yokohama city. The cost per capita of the program in each ward was calculated using the data from a statement of accounts and a report of activities of public health nurses, other officials, and volunteers, in the 1999 fiscal year. The WTP for the program was measured by a survey of 631 people who participated in the programs held in October and November, 2000. The mean, median, and 95% CI of WTP were calculated as measures of the benefit. RESULTS: The response rate of the survey was 73.4%. The mean and median WTP were yen 441 and yen 300 respectively, and the 95% CI ranged from yen 800 to yen 1,682. The WTP was negatively related to the duration of functional disability, and positively related to income. However, the WTP was not significantly related to self-perceived effectiveness of the program and the SF-36. The costs per capita without the cost of volunteers among 18 wards ranged from yen 2,079 to yen 6,732, and those with the cost of volunteers ranged from yen 3,289 to yen 8,366. The net benefit per capita was negative. CONCLUSIONS: To conduct cost-benefit analyses of community based rehabilitation programs more precisely, it is necessary to measure the costs of medical care and long term care saved and the benefits to others (e.g. volunteers, community residents, etc.) and to assess the WTP so that various aspects of effectiveness (health and non-health benefits) are taken into account.