The current situation and issues in the maternal and child health services provided by public health nurses to foreigners residing in Japan / 国際保健医療

ABSTRACT

<B>Introduction</B><BR>Compared to Japanese nationals, foreigners residing in Japan have a poor rate of maternal and child mortality and utilization of maternal and child health services. In this study, we examine the maternal and child health services provided by public health nurses to foreigners residing in Japan.<BR><B>Methods</B><BR>Questionnaires were administered to public health nurses working at local health centers in Aichi prefecture.<BR><B>Results</B><BR>Among the respondents, 4.5% were satisfied with the support system offered to foreigners residing in Japan, and 41.5% had offered their services to foreigners residing in Japan with various ideas. The following factors significantly affected satisfaction in public health nurses: acceptance by foreigners residing in Japan of the home of a newborn and maternal and child health check-ups (P=0.037, P=0.001, respectively), utilization of translators (P=0.002), and adopting a positive attitude towards providing health care services to foreigners residing in Japan (P=0.028).<BR><B>Conclusions</B><BR>Public health nurses in Japan are not satisfied with the health care services they offer foreigners residing in Japan. The results of this study suggest that it is important to provide them with multilingual materials and help them develop a positive attitude towards offering health care services to foreigners residing in Japan.