[Health of technical intern trainees: One-year qualitative longitudinal study after arrival in Japan].

Objective　This study aimed to qualitatively analyze changes in the health status and factors affecting technical intern trainees over time during their first year in Japan and examined the necessary support for healthy living.Methods　The study targeted sixteen technical intern trainees who had been living in Japan for almost four months. The study was conducted quarterly in a year, using semi-structured interviews to measure physical and mental health conditions, injury or illness, subjective symptoms, and training and daily life conditions. Dietary content was assessed using photographs taken by participants. Health-check results were collected when available. Data were classified into the six components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), and further qualitative data were analyzed inductively for health-affecting factors using qualitative longitudinal analysis.Results　The types and timing of illnesses, injuries, subjective symptoms, and health-affecting factors varied. Stress and concerns were experienced by more than 56.3% of each study's participants and more than 44.4% had the possibility of a mood or anxiety disorder. The participants with heavy labor had musculoskeletal disorders in the first half of the study period. The health-check results were in Japanese and some participants did not fully understand them. Fifteen categories were extracted as health-affecting factors:《sleeping conditions》,《joy of independence and anxiety》,《decreased vitality and fatigue》,《undertaking the training》,《communication skills and efforts to learn Japanese》,《efforts for self-health care》,《adaptation to Japanese lifestyle》,《leisure and interaction with Japanese people》,《religious activities》,《training environment》,《living environment》,《support from friends, family and workplace》,《natural environment and economic trends》,《saving-oriented lifestyle》, and《motive for coming to Japan and self-evaluation after one year》.Conclusion　The technical intern trainees experienced various physical and psychological symptoms. Support in maintaining and promoting positive aspects of health-affecting factors and removing negative aspects is important for the health of trainees. In addition, it is important to support the improvement of the health literacy of trainees by offering information on exercise facilities and medical institutions providing health-check services in multiple languages, and improving means of communications through cooperation with related organizations and the use of regular channels by trainees. Furthermore, involving healthcare professionals in "regional councils" is necessary.

[Literature review of the health of technical intern trainees in Japan: A study using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health].

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to clarify the health of technical intern trainees and factors that affect their health and examine the necessary support. METHODS: Articles related to the health of technical intern trainees, published between January 2010 and September 2019, were extracted from databases (Ichushi-Web, CiNii Articles, and news archives) using the keywords "technical intern training" and "health." Additional articles were extracted by hand-searching related reports and magazines. The articles were sorted using the partial Bernard Berelson method of content analysis and classified into the components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF). RESULTS: There were 24 categories, 71 subcategories, and 422 recording units extracted from 127 documents. Using the ICF classification, the 【Environmental factors】 component had the largest number of recording units, with the "support from supervising and implementing organizations" (n = 108) and "inadequate enforcement of labor-related laws" (n = 48) categories. This was followed by the 【Health condition】 component, with the "death of technical intern trainees" (n = 27) and "increase of tuberculosis cases" (n = 24) categories. CONCLUSIONS: It is assumed that while some technical intern trainees are in a high-risk situation because of the difficulty of receiving medical care and severe working conditions that may worsen their health, including the development of brain and heart disease and tuberculosis, some receive positive effects such as early detection and treatment of diseases through health checks. In addition to improving the working environment, it is important to translate the results of health checks into trainees' understandable languages, provide supplementary explanations of the results, and support the promotion of multicultural coexistence.