All Data

The purpose of this study was to examine the advantages and problems of the mutual nomination method from the viewpoints of both teachers and children, in order to introduce the method more appropriately and effectively in the classroom. In order to understand from the children's standpoint, we asked university students to reflect on their classroom situations at elementary, junior high, and high schools, and conducted a questionnaire survey using both face-to-face and web-based surveys. The subjects consisted of 138 university students. To understand from the position of the teachers, elementary, junior high, and high school teachers were interviewed. Eleven teachers were elementary school teachers, nine were junior high school teachers, and five were high school teachers. The method of analysis was content analysis for both the children's and the teachers' standpoints. The results are presented initially from the children's perspective, followed by the teachers' perspective. First, from the children's perspective. Regarding experience with the mutual nomination method, in elementary school, the number of respondents with and without experience was 88 and 29, respectively, in middle school, 37 and 77, and in high school, 28 and 102, respectively. Five categories of advantages of the mutual nomination method were obtained, including [active and motivated participation in class], [ease of raising hands and speaking up], and [bright and peaceful atmosphere]. On the other hand, four categories were obtained for problems such as [bias and fixation of nominated/non-nominated students], [classroom relationships revealed by bias of nominated/non-nominated students], and [creation of rules for effective implementation of the mutual nomination method]. Next, from the teachers’ perspectives, regarding their experience with the Mutual Nomination Method, elementary school teachers implemented the method according to the subject matter and learning objectives, and according to the condition of the children and the classroom. Junior High and high school teachers implemented the method only slightly. Five categories of advantages of the mutual nomination method were obtained, including [active and motivated participation in class], [deepening of learning], [ease of raising hands and speaking up, and confidence gained from the experience of giving presentations]. Six categories were obtained as problems and innovations of the mutual nomination method, including [introduction of the method in consideration of the situation of the children and the classroom], [bias and fixation of those who are nominated/not nominated], and [creation of rules for effective implementation of the mutual nomination method]. Based on the above results, and considering both the children's and teachers' standpoints, the mutual nomination method seems to have the advantage of making it easier for children to actively and enthusiastically learn, raise their hands, and speak up. However, there are also problems such as the bias of children who speak up, the fact that some children experience not being nominated even if they raise their hands, and the fact that relationships in such classes become more visible. To introduce the mutual nomination method, it is necessary to have a supportive classroom climate and good classroom discipline as a foundation. It was shown that it is important for teachers to fully assess the classroom situation and implement the method under management, such as by applying rules according to the situation.

The dissemination of knowledge and awareness regarding mental health promotion is an important issue in the mental health and welfare policies of local governments. In order to clarify the relationship between the social life situation of local residents and their mental health, we analyzed 1,139 people who underwent health checkups at Mine City Hospital and answered a lifestyle questionnaire about their psychological state (Kessler 6 Scale [K6]), social interaction (Lubben Social Network Scale-6 [LSNS6]), sleep (Athens Insomnia Scale [AIS]), economic situation, household composition, and residential area by sex and age group (youth: 20-39 years old, middle age: 40-64 years old, elderly: 65 years old or older). In men, K6 score decreased as the age group increased; however, there was no change in women across all age groups. Furthermore, when comparing by age group and sex, elderly men had the lowest K6 score. Analysis of the data for all subjects revealed that K6 score was negatively correlated with LSNS6 score (r = -0.219, P < 0.01) but had a significant positive correlation with AIS score (r = 0.495, P < 0.01). The "difficult" economic situation group had higher K6 scores than the "average" and "affordable" groups. These findings suggest that people with a poor psychological state have less human interaction and tend to suffer from insomnia and that improving one's subjective economic situation may contribute to a good psychological state.

We developed a lifestyle reflection sheet for preventing and treating metabolic syndrome. Our tool aimed to help local residents identify their risk factors for metabolic syndrome, recognize areas for improvement in their lifestyle habits, and proactively engage in health promotion. We enrolled 1,146 patients, consisting of 715 men and 431 women, aged 18 to 92 years. Inclusion criteria were those who underwent health checkups at Mine City Hospital and answered a lifestyle questionnaire. We hypothesized that individuals with conditions related to metabolic syndrome have undesirable lifestyle habits. To test this hypothesis, we conducted logistic regression analysis to examine the probabilities of metabolic syndrome, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. The results were displayed as similarity percentages, reflecting how closely the daily behaviors of individuals with these conditions aligned with the behaviors of those who had these specific health issues. Eight specific behaviors were selected for preventing and improving metabolic syndrome: diet-related (eating behaviors that do not lead to obesity, avoid snacking, consume vegetables, reduce salt), physical activity-related (physical activity/ exercise, avoiding prolonged sitting), health-related (maintaining a sense of coherence), and alcohol-related (amount of alcohol consumed). The scores for these factors were calculated using a validated factor analysis. Each item was visualized by displaying a graph showing the standard deviation for all survey subjects. The lifestyle reflection sheet was printed on special paper and returned to individuals after their health check. The sheet served as a reference tool for health guidance. By utilizing this sheet, individuals could be individually notified of their risk of developing metabolic syndrome and the benefits of healthy behaviors. Behavioral changes for health were encouraged through a review of lifestyle habits.

Excessive use of social networking services (SNS) is known to have a significant negative impact on mental health in university students. In this study, we conducted an online questionnaire survey of university students and analyzed 146 responses in order to clarify the relation between SNS addiction and self-compassion among university students. As a result, it was found that there was a significant negative relationship between SNS addiction and self-compassion in the university students. In addition, the subscales of "self-judgment," "isolation," and "over-identification" were significantly associated with SNS addiction. These results suggest that selfcompassion education may help reduce the deterioration of mental health caused by SNS addiction.

In advance care planning (ACP), there are cases where it is difficult for patients to express their intentions for various reasons. In this study, we discussed the difficulties and countermeasures for the implementation of ACP in the cases of children and the elderly, involuntary hospitalization for psychiatric care, and the choice of end-of-life nutrition, as cases in which it is difficult for the patients to express their intentions. Internal difficulties caused by the individual, external difficulties such as non-provision of appropriate information and social difficulties such as the absence of significant others were considered to be the factors that make ACP implementation difficult. It is important for supporters to understand these difficulties and to implement ACP according to the individual patients. It is hoped that discussions on the promotion of ACP will be further enhanced in the future.

This study aimed to clarify the food characteristics and functionality of Akamoku from various perspectives based on samples collected in Yamaguchi Prefecture. This study investigated changes in food characteristics and functionalities when Akamoku was processed, as well as the functionality of consuming commercially processed Akamoku products. In the examination of food characteristics, we focused on the adhesiveness, adhesion, hardness, cohesiveness, and color differences of Akamoku due to differences in boiling conditions, drying methods, and rehydration temperature conditions. The results suggest that, in terms of boiling conditions, long boiling at 90°C for 3 or 5 min is not suitable from the viewpoints of properties and color. In terms of drying methods, viscosity was enhanced by freeze-drying and the green color was remarkably etained, suggesting that freeze-drying is useful for retaining the viscosity and color of Akamoku. In the examination of changes in functionalities, we focused on changes in the antioxidative activity of Akamoku due to boiling conditions. Total polyphenol content and DPPH radical scavenging ability were determined using two types of Akamoku from different production areas, harvesting periods, and freezing conditions. The results showed that raw Akamoku of both types had higher polyphenol content and DPPH radical scavenging ability than processed Akamoku. Regarding the effect of boiling temperature on antioxidant properties, there was less variation in polyphenol content and antioxidative activity in the case of boiling at 60°C than in the case of boiling at 90°C, indicating that processing at lower temperatures may be effective in retaining antioxidative activity. Furthermore, a positive correlation was observed between the total polyphenol content and DPPH radical scavenging ability, suggesting that polyphenols play an important role in antioxidant properties. Regarding the functionality of consuming commercial processed Akamoku products, we aimed to explore the effect of incorporating commercially available boiled Akamoku or microwave-boiled Akamoku into breakfast or lunch meals along with rice on postprandial blood glucose dynamics. The experiment included three distinct test meals: a standard meal comprising rice, soup, and seasoning; an Akamoku-enriched meal incorporating commercially available processed Akamoku with standard components; and a microwave-boiled Akamoku meal with standard meal components. The blood glucose dynamics under these three dietary conditions were compared between healthy adult male and female participants. The results suggested that both boiled Akamoku and microwave-boiled Akamoku reduced postprandial maximum blood glucose level, elevated blood glucose level, duration of elevated blood glucose level, and rate of elevated blood glucose level, but did not reduce blood glucose fall time and incremental area under the curve. These findings suggest that ingestion of Akamoku and heated Akamoku had an inhibitory effect on postprandial blood glucose elevation, but did not impede the bodily absorption of sugars or nutrients. The findings of this study may increase our understanding of the food characteristics and functionality of Akamoku and promote its consumption. Furthermore, if the consumption of Akamoku expands, it is expected to contribute to the revitalization of local fisheries and fishing villages, as well as efforts to promote the sixth industrialization. Based on these results, future applications of Akamoku in the food industry are expected.

The utilization of post-retirement nurses, commonly referred to as second-career nurses (he reinafter SCNs), is being actively promoted. While SCNs are often said to bring a wealth of experience to nursing, concerns have been raised regarding their clinical competency and skills. However, currently, no concrete visualization or detailed examination exists of the nature of SCNs’ nursing practices, leaving such concerns unaddressed. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the specific aspects of excellence in the nursing practices of SCNs. To clarify the excellence of SCNs, the study extracted specific elements of excellent nursing practices from previous research. These elements were conceptualized as the “Six Domains and 19 Components of Excellent Nursing.” Based on these concepts, a unique survey questionnaire was developed to measure perceptions of SCNs’ excellent nursing practices, which was employed to study two groups: second-career nurses (hereinafter referred to as the SCN group) and active nurses currently in practice (hereinafter referred to as the active group). The SCN group included 84 participants, while the active group included 199 participants. Perceptions of excellent nursing practices among SCNs were analyzed as “excellence scores” for both groups. The results showed that in the active group, the average excellence scores tended to increase with age. Additionally, a factor analysis was performed to confirm whether the responses in the active group aligned with the conceptual framework. This analysis identified three factors: “Identity as a nursing professional,” “Excellent clinical practice competence,” and “Caring behaviors.” A multiple comparison of the average total scores for the three factors across age groups revealed significant differences in “Excellent clinical practice competence” and “Caring behaviors” between the nurses in their 20s and 50s, as well as between those in their 30s and 50s. These findings suggest that age-related differences in how the active group perceived the excellence of SCNs may be attributed to varying levels of experience. Specifically, less experienced nurses may have difficulty focusing on others; consequently, they may not fully recognize the qualities of SCNs’ nursing practices. In contrast, nurses in their 40s and 50s, with greater experience, are more likely to engage in mutual interactions with SCNs, enabling them to observe and appreciate the visible aspects of SCNs’ excellent nursing practices. The relationship between the excellence scores in the SCN group and external factors such as age, years of experience, experience as an SCN, pre-retirement position, current workplace, and employment format was analyzed. The results showed no significant differences in the excellence scores across any of these attributes. This lack of influence from external factors suggests that the exceptional nursing practices of SCNs are not externally imposed but are driven by intrinsic factors, such as a genuine interest in and passion for nursing, as well as a strong focus on others—factors rooted in SCNs’ “Identity as nursing professionals.” Based on the above, the specific content of excellent nursing revealed in this study demonstrated by SCNs is threefold: nursing that makes visible “Excellent clinical practice competence,” “Caring behaviors,” and the intrinsic “Identity as a nursing professional” of second-career nurses. “Identity as a nursing professional” in SCNs reflects a deep-seated passion for nursing, characterized by a resolute dedication to the profession even after retirement. This identity is suggested to be shaped by the combination of their extensive nursing and life experiences, which results in an original approach to nursing, thus producing the excellence of SCNs.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic inflammatory disease with chronic polyarthritis as the main symptom, and its treatment goal is to reduce disease activity as well as to suppress the progression of joint destruction. The purpose of this study is to investigate the ideal support for the home-based exercise therapy and also to clarify the current status of its implementation and the factors that cause its implementation. Chapter 1 provides the background of this research, by discussing the symptoms and treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, the role of exercise therapy, the necessity of the home-based exercise therapy, and the support for patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other chronic diseases. Based on these findings, the purpose of this study was to clarify the current status of the home-based exercise therapy in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and the factors that implement it, and to examine the ideal way of support. Chapter 2 describes a research study that clarifies the current status of the home-based exercise therapy for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A questionnaire survey was conducted for rheumatoid arthritis patients living in one prefecture and the responses of 226 patients were analyzed. As a result, it was found that 35.4% of the patients knew that the home-based exercise therapy is recommended for patients with rheumatoid arthritis. On the other hand, 93.7% of patients thought that the home-based exercise therapy had a certain effect, and 91.4% of patients thought that the home-based exercise therapy was necessary. Thus, most patients had a high level of knowledge and interest in the home-based exercise therapy. Chapter 3 describes a research study that clarifies the factors that affect the implementation of the home-based exercise therapy. A questionnaire survey was conducted for rheumatoid arthritis patients living in one prefecture and the answers obtained were divided into two groups, the group that underwent the home-based exercise therapy (n = 94) and the group that did not underwent it (n = 132). As a result of multivariate analysis, it was found that four factors significantly influenced the implementation of the home-based exercise therapy: age, occupation with a high degree of discretion, receiving injection treatment, and recommending the home-based exercise therapy by a doctor. It was also suggested that patients who were in pain or were not in remission were doing it according to their physical condition to the extent that it did not hurt. Chapter 4 discusses the ideal way of support for the home-based exercise therapy by patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Based on the findings obtained in Chapters 2 and 3, the ideal way of support for the implementation of the home-based exercise therapy was discussed, focusing on three important perspectives: support for patient education, support for self-care, and support for multidisciplinary collaboration. Finally, based on the findings of this study, I concluded that it is important to provide support for patients with rheumatoid arthritis so that they can take the initiative in treating the home-based exercise therapy as an important way of self-care.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the significance and challenges of government infertility support from the perspective of nursing professionals involved in government infertility support and infertile women. This dissertation consists of three chapters. First, in Chapter 1, as a research perspective on the current situation surrounding infertility and administrative infertility support, a review of the literature on “psychological characteristics and coping with infertility,” “infertility support,” and “administrative infertility support centered on infertility consultation centers” was conducted in particular to focus the issues and analysis perspective of this study. Chapter 2, Section 1 clarified the significance of administrative infertility support as perceived by nurses involved in infertility support at infertility consultation centers. In Chapter 2, Section 2, a study of infertile women was conducted to clarify the current situation and the relationship between infertile women's perceptions and use of administrative infertility support. Chapter 3 reviews the findings on the significance and challenges of administrative infertility support based on the perspectives of nursing professionals and infertile women, discusses the significance and challenges of administrative infertility support, and presents the conclusions and limitations of this study and future challenges. From the perspective of nursing professionals, the significance of administrative infertility support was found to be threefold: [it can supplement infertility support provided by medical institutions], [it can provide psychological support], and [it can provide a wide range of infertility-related counseling]. However, only 31.1% of infertile women were aware of government infertility support, and only 16.3% of infertile women had used it. Thus, although the recognition and utilization rates of government infertility support are low, the level of satisfaction with government infertility support is high, indicating that it is an effective form of support. In addition, 67.5% of those who received infertility support from both medical institutions and the government rated the support as more effective than using only one of the two types of support. Administrative infertility support, centered on specialized infertility consultation centers, has a different venue and function than medical institutions, and is significant in that it does not view infertility solely in terms of its medical meaning, but is able to attend to individual life concerns and choices. In addition, administrative infertility support has a well-developed support system that provides both information and knowledge for problem solving and emotional and psychological support in a well-balanced manner, which we believe leads to a sense of satisfaction for infertile women who use administrative infertility support. As for the challenges of administrative infertility support, first of all, it is necessary for nurses and other professionals involved in administrative infertility support to improve the infertility support environment in each municipality and to improve their support skills. Then, the significance of administrative infertility support should be properly publicized and communicated to increase the awareness and use of administrative infertility support by infertile women. Furthermore, it was discussed that it is important to solve the issues of administrative infertility support through cooperation and collaboration between medical institutions and the government, as well as cooperation and collaboration among local governments.

The promotion of early family reunification is required from the perspective ofensuring children's rights in children’s homes. Currently, family social workers areassigned to support the smooth reintegration of children into their families. In family reunification support, the development of social work based on high-level expertise is necessary. However, it cannot be said that the expertise required for implementing social work towards children’s family reunification is fully established. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the expertise of family social workers in deploying social work towards children’s family reunification. Chapter 1 discusses the need to establish theories regarding the unique functions and methods of social work of family social workers by reviewing prior research and　examining the current achievements and challenges faced in their support. Chapter 2 outlines the research objectives and defines key terms. Chapter 3 conducts interview research with family social workers to generate a hypothesis model regarding the factors and interrelations involved in deploying social work aimed at children’s family reunification. Chapter 4 conducts a survey using questionnaires targeting family social workers and examines the generated hypothesis model through covariance structure analysis, presenting insights into the expertise of family social workers' deployment of social work for children’s family reunification. Chapter 5 states the conclusion. The deployment of social work by family social workers aimed at children's family reunification is shown to stem from a recognition that prioritizes the best interests of the　child, expanding into specific support actions such as "assessment and planning," "support for children and parents," "collaboration inside and outside the facility," and　"evaluation and discernment of family reunification." Particularly, "support for parents" and "collaboration with child consultation centers" were identified as areas of expertise in social work deployment. However, in examining the factors influencing the deployment of social work, the "evaluation and discernment of family reunification" is strongly influenced directly by the "awareness as a professional." This suggests that the expertise in the supportive actions of "support for parents" and "collaboration with child consultation centers" is not being sufficiently realized.

This study examined the effects of role lettering (RL) on mothers raising their first child in infancy. Mothers raising their first child in infancy experience unique childcare anxiety and are prone to mental instability. The Japanese government has set up support systems for mothers raising children, such as postpartum care programs; however, many of these require mothers to go out to seek support. Considering that mothers raising children are unable to go out easily, it is necessary to consider ways to provide support that are more convenient for mothers. We focused on RL as a method to support this. RL is a role-exchange letter method in which one writes a letter from the perspective of both oneself and others, in this case, the mother and the child, respectively. By conducting this back-and-forth correspondence alone, one encourages self-reflection. Putting oneself in another person's shoes allows one to look at oneself from a new perspective, promotes an understanding of the self and others, and encourages self-acceptance. This study hypothesized that RL could be utilized by mothers raising their first child, and if its effectiveness could be clarified, it could be used as a tool to support child-rearing. This paper consists of four sections. Chapter 1 presents the current situation and issues surrounding mothers raising their first child, a literature review on support for mothers raising their children, a literature review on RL, and the significance and purpose of this study. In Chapter 2, semi-structured interviews were conducted after RL was administered thrice to six mothers raising their first child before preschool. The data obtained were analyzed using the KJ method to structure the effects of RL. We also examined changes in the description of letters in the RL. In Chapter 3, we examine the effects of RL using a randomized controlled trial in a group of 26 mothers raising their first 0-year-old child in a group of three RLs and a control group. We also examined changes in the description of letters in the RL. Chapter 4 provides a comprehensive discussion of the effects of RL on mothers raising their first child during infancy based on the findings in Chapters 2 and 3. In sum, the effects of RL done thrice by mothers raising their first child in infancy are as follows. First, mothers write freely to the child, the letter recipient, without restrictions, thus express their feelings honestly; this naturally allows the mother to affirm her own identity. Second, by writing from the child’s perspective, the mother can think of how the child feels. These activities led to an increase in the mother’s self-esteem and positive feelings toward the child. Such a change in feelings gives the mother of a firstborn child a sense of recognition and confidence in her parenting. The results suggest that such confidence may lead to behavioral changes and willingness to connect with the outside world, such as mothers visiting places for parent-child interaction and consultation with public health nurses.

The purpose of this paper was to study social exclusion as an effect of residential facility care in the provision of welfare services for persons with disabilities. This is based on an understanding of such welfare measures from the perspective of a system to provide social welfare that enables approximately 127,660 people with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, etc. who are in institutions in Japan, to live in local society. The results showed the existence of not only the abuse of persons with disabilities as an outcome of the provision of welfare services to them, but also abuse in the background treatment premised on collective action, lack of staff to regulate these actions, lack of individual support, a shortage of staff to support regional transition, social isolation with 72.0% of residents staying for 10–40 years or longer, maintenance of the reproductive function of large-scale residential facilities, suppression of community life support services, policies that function to socially isolate and socially exclude as an effect of this, and a series of structural disadvantages at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. These findings suggest the need for an improved system of social welfare provision. Keywords: Isolation, social exclusion, disability welfare measures, people with intellectual disabilities, Abuse of persons with disabilities

In April 2023, the Institute of Social Work Education for Children and Families (Institute of SWE for Children and Families) was established as an institution attached to the Faculty of Social Welfare at Yamaguchi Prefectural University,which has been providing social worker training education since 1994 and has produced many social welfare personnel in and outside Yamaguchi Prefecture. With the basic principle of ‘For the realization of happiness of children and families in Yamaguchi Prefecture’, the aim of the Institute of SWE for Children and Families is to improve the expertise of childcare, welfare, education and other personnel involved in child and family support and to explore ways to support children and families with difficulties. This paper reported on the practice of the Institute of SWE for Children and Families, an educational and research institute established at the university, in its first year of operation, taking into account the circumstances that led to its establishment. It also discussed the development of projects for the following year and beyond.

The purpose of this study was to clarify the operation of (1) counseling and support systems and (2) training systems related to the care of “ Concerned Children “ based on the results of a questionnaire survey of childcare facilities (“day care centers,” “kindergartens,” and “centers for early childhood education and care”) in Prefecture A. The results of the study revealed the following. Regarding (1) counseling support system, 96% of the facilities provided “counseling opportunities,” and another 69.5% provided consultation opportunities with outside experts. On the other hand, the counseling system in terms of tools and equipment, such as the use of SNS/ applications and the establishment of counseling rooms, had not yet been fully developed. In terms of the training system, more than 90% of the childcare facilities provided both inside of facility and outside of facility training, and the rate of training outside of the facility was higher than that inside of the facility. In particular, 66.3% of the inside facility training sessions were conducted in facility conferences. All of these results were significantly different when tested by a binary test.

In clinical practice, the attitude of the practice supervisor, such as the nurse or teacher, is important because it influences the learning of the nursing students. Nursing students learn a great deal through the relationships they form with nursing subjects (patients, family members, and other nursing subjects) and through the practice of nursing. The attitudes of practice supervisors, patients, and family members are believed to influence nursing students' confidence and motivation for the next stage of their practice. The purpose of this study was to examine how self-compassion, experiences of praise from practice instructors and patients/families, students' own psychological responses to experiences of praise, and achievement of practice goals affect nursing students' sense of on-the-job practice efficacy. Field practice efficacy consisted of "understanding and helping the subject efficacy," "maintaining relationships with friends efficacy," and "maintaining relationships with instructors and learning attitude efficacy. Multiple regression analysis revealed that the experience of being praised for the student's behavior, such as "being praised for working hard" and "being praised for studying well," had an effect on "understanding and helping the target" efficacy. In addition, psychological reactions such as "I feel motivated," "I am happy," and "I feel confident," which occur as a result of being praised, affected "the efficacy of maintaining relationships with friends. In addition, self-compassion, "experience of being praised for behavior," and "achievement of practice behavior goals" influenced "maintenance of relationship with instructor and learning attitude efficacy. This indicated that nursing students being given positive feedback and verbal praise by practice instructors, patients, and family members influenced their achievement of practice behavior goals and their self-efficacy for their next field practice. Key words：nursing students, Attitudes of practice instructors, self-compassion, the experience of receiving praise, self-efficacy for clinical practice

We developed a lifestyle questionnaire to create a tool for community residents to learn about disease and lifestyle risks, improve their lives, and support health promotion. The questionnaire consists of eight major items (1.diet, 2. eating behavior, 3. physical activity, 4. sleep, 5. social interaction, 6. stress coping ability, 7. psychological condition, 8. health condition, medical history, and economic status), for a total of 82 questionnaire items. The questions were displayed on a tablet PC and were answered by tapping. The response time ranged from 10 to 25 minutes. Five items related to eating behavior, physical activity, sleep, mental health, and social network were selected from the questionnaire and represented on a 5-point radar chart to visually demonstrate the individual's healthy balance. Immediate feedback was provided to participants by a radar chart that appeared after completing the questionnaire. Later, the chart was printed on a special form and returned to the individual. Analyzing the lifestyle questionnaire alongside health checkup results helps individuals understand their risk of lifestyle-related diseases and the effects of their health behaviors. This process encourages behavioral changes for better health by prompting a review of lifestyle habits.

Alcoholism is a chronic progressive psychiatric disease and is suggested to be difficult to restore. It is also called “a disease of being alone,” and there is a societal stigma surrounding alcoholism. We need a society in which correct knowledge and better understanding about alcoholism and alcohol-related problem is widely disseminated and patients with alcoholism can recover easily.

Participation of residents is essential to promote local projects. A questionnaire was conducted on residents in Miyano area, Yamaguchi City for planning local community development. The aim of this study was to uncover factors for willingness to cooperate in local projects from analysis of the results of the questionnaire. Aid for people who are unable to go shopping, activity to watch over children, development of environment to raise children and anticrime measures were much-needed projects. Relations among neighbors were found to be a factor affecting willingness to cooperate in these projects. Our results suggest that improving relations among residents may lead to increased willingness to cooperate, resulting in enhancement of local community development.

Ever since Yanagida (2006) proposed that ``not only children but also adults should read picture books、'' the activity of adults reading picture books has been expanding. Picture book therapy is one of these activities. The purpose of this study was to examine participants' subjective experiences based on a qualitative analysis of their "impressions" of participating in picture book therapy. Picture book therapy was conducted once a month. Each session of picture book therapy had a different theme、 such as "Know Yourself" or "Feel Happiness. It consisted of five picture books facilitated by the same reader. Participation was not mandatory、and participants could attend whenever they wanted. The subjective experiences of the participants in the picture book therapy were as follows. Prior to their participation、 participants held the stereotype that "picture books are for children to read" and also had doubts about the effectiveness of the picture book therapy. However、after their participation、 the participants were able to receive various messages from picture books、 which helped them to stabilize their feelings and become aware of their inner world. In addition、 the participants showed behavioral changes、 such as showing compassion and interest in their surroundings and reading picture books in their daily lives.