Master course practice on 'community health nursing diagnoses and developing activity' 1: The meanings of the community-based care prevention exercise activity for the elderly and the suggestion for PHNs' strategies based on characteristics of each community

Background: Public health nurses (PHNs) have created the community-based care prevention activities for the elderly in a local town in Japan. Each activity has been managed by trained lay persons with the help by PHNs.

Purpose: To find the meanings of the activities in each community and think about the strategies to promote health of the community based on its characteristics.

Method: The three communities which have different characteristics were selected as fields of practice. After data analysis and wind-shield survey of each community, the student visited almost 9-10 persons at home in each community and interviewed about pros and cons of the activity. Comparing the characteristics and the rate of participation, the meanings of the activities and PHNs' strategies to promote health in community were discussed.

Results: In the Community A, where the activity started from 2008, most of residents were the white-collared and moved into the Community A just before retirement. Forty percent of the elderly participated in the activity and expanded their network through the activity. In the Community B, where activity started from 2009, half of the elderly had worked in coal mine as blue-workers and the rate of the participation was limited because of the feelings of fellowships. In the Community C, where was public housing area, most elderly had worked in coal mine. Any activity would not start because of highly aging population rate and no leaders.

Conclusion: The strategies of PHNs should be changed according to the characteristics of each community. The characteristics of communities were affected by age, intelligence, history, the relationship of neighborhood and the activities created by PHNs.