Junko Honda

With the global rise in children with disabilities, their siblings may experience various impacts on their daily lives. This study investigates health-related quality of life (QOL) and related factors among siblings of students attending special-needs schools in Japan. A cross-sectional study was conducted with two groups: 71 siblings of children with disabilities and a control group of 398 siblings of typically developing children, using the KINDL ^R QOL scale. Results showed a median QOL score for siblings of children with disabilities of 72.92 versus 71.88 for siblings of typically developing children ( p  = 0.711). This lack of significant difference may be attributed to existing social support systems and special-needs schools in Japan, which may reduce the burden on siblings of children with disabilities. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining and improving support systems for siblings of children with disabilities while continuously monitoring their well-being at home and in their communities.

We organized a family nursing seminar employing virtual simulation for home visiting nurses. The seminar utilized gamification and a digitally simulated family to enhance family nursing competence. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a seminar by conducting a β test of a virtual simulation. This study employed a descriptive design. Study period was from November of 2022 to January of 2023. Study participants were seven home visiting nurses at four Home-Visit Nursing Agencies in Japan. In the virtual simulation, participants communicated with the digitally simulated family created with Unreal Engine 5.0.0. Before and after the seminar, participants were asked to complete the Family Nursing Competency Scale and data were gathered through an open-ended questionnaire. The total scores on the Family Nursing Practice Competence Scale all increased after the seminar. In feedback, the instructor commented that the simulation scenarios and level of difficulty were appropriate but that the time schedule needed to be revised. Participants also commented on the reality and tension in the digitally simulated family and the lack of discussion. The integration of gamification and the digitally simulated family was positively accepted and increased the sense of reality and tension of the participants. However, there were problems with the recognition of achievement, time management of the debriefing sessions. Further modifications to this seminar design are needed.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is typically diagnosed in pediatric patients. Transitioning from supported management in childhood to self-management in adolescence is an important step. Parental psychosocial influence is a possible factor in adolescents' disease control. This review summarized the effects of parental involvement on glycemic control in adolescents with T1DM by focusing on hemoglobin A1c (HgbAIc). A scoping review per the Guidance for Systematic Scoping Reviews was conducted with the following inclusion criteria: (a) studies in English, (b) focused on adolescents with T1DM, (c) outcomes included HgbAIc, and (d) focused on parental influence of children with T1DM. Of 476 articles, 14 were included. The study outcomes were classified based on direct or indirect influence. "Parental support for adherence" and "parental conflict" significantly affected HgbAIc control. This study provides current evidence on parental influence on glycemic control in adolescents.

There exists an international consensus on the importance of family-centered care (FCC) in intensive care settings and the evaluation of collaboration between nurses and families; however, FCC is currently practiced blindly in Japan. In this study, we developed a Japanese version of the questionnaire, Factors that Influence Family Engagement (QFIFE-J) and examined its reliability and validity. A web-based survey was conducted with 250 nurses working in the intensive care unit (ICU). Exploratory and validatory factor analyses were used to ascertain factor validity. Criterion-related validity was tested using correlation analysis with the ICU Nurses’ Family Assistance Practice Scale. Internal consistency and reproducibility were verified for reliability. Following exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, a 15-item measure emerged comprising four factors: “ICU environment”, “nurses’ attitudes”, “nurses’ workflow”, and “patient acuity”. Confirmatory factor analyses showed a generally good fit. Cronbach’s α for the overall scale was 0.78, indicating acceptable internal consistency. The intraclass coefficient for test–retest reliability was 0.80. It was found that the QFIFE-J was reliable and valid and may help determine the factors that promote or inhibit FCC. Additionally, this study has also clarified the current status and family support related issues in ICUs in Japan.

Stigma among healthcare workers during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is an issue that requires immediate attention, as it may otherwise lead to the collapse of healthcare systems. In this study, we developed the COVID-19-related stigma scale for healthcare workers (CSS-HCWs) and assessed its reliability and validity. Data were collected online from 500 participants, including physicians and nurses involved in COVID-19 care. The first item of the draft scale was developed based on a literature review and qualitative study. The draft scale consisted of 24 items, which were rated on a six-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics were calculated and the data distribution was analyzed. To assess the scale’s validity and reliability, structural validity was evaluated through an exploratory factor analysis. Criterion-related validity was examined through a correlation analysis using the E16-COVID19-S, a COVID-19 scale developed for physicians in Egypt. Reliability was evaluated by examining the scale’s stability and internal consistency. The findings revealed that the stigma scale was a valid and reliable instrument. The final scale consisted of 18 items across three domains: personal stigma, concerns of disclosure and others, and family stigma. In conclusion, the scale is a valid and reliable instrument that can measure COVID-19-related stigma among healthcare workers.

BACKGROUND: Critical illness is distressing for families, and often results in negative effects on family health that influence a family's ability to support their critically ill family member. Although recent attention has been directed at improving care and outcomes for families of critically ill patients, the manner in which nurses engage with families is not fully understood. OBJECTIVES: To describe nurses' perceptions and practices of family engagement in adult intensive care units from a global perspective. DESIGN: A qualitative-descriptive multi-site design using content analysis. SETTINGS: The study was conducted in 26 intensive care units of 12 urban, metropolitan, academic medical centers in ten countries, spanning five continents. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 65 registered nurses (77% women, age of M = 39.5, SD = 11.4 years) participated. Most held intensive care certification (72%) and had worked on average 10 (SD = 9.6) years in the ICU. METHODS: Semi-structured, individual interviews (M = 38.4 min, SD = 12.0) were held with ICU nurses at the hospital (94%) or their home using an interview guide. Qualitative interview data were analysed using inductive content analysis. RESULTS: We found that nurse-family engagement was an ebb and flow of relational power that needed to be carefully negotiated and balanced, with nurses holding and often exerting more power than families. Constant fluctuations in nurses' practices of engagement occurred in day-to-day practice from shift-to-shift and from nurse-to-nurse. Family engagement was dependent on individual nurses' attitudes and perceptions of family, the patient's condition, and workload. Lastly, family engagement was shaped by the ICU context, with team culture, collaborative relationships, unit structures and organizational resources either enabling or limiting nurses' ability to engage with families. CONCLUSIONS: This global study provides an in-depth understanding of the way nurses engage with families in ICU and reflects many different cultures and health systems. We found that nurse-family engagement was marked by a shifting, yet often unequal power distribution in the nurse-family relationship, inconsistent nurse engagement practices, both of which resulted in variable family engagement in intensive care. Our research contributes a detailed description of engagement as practiced in the everyday delivery of health care. A more concentrated team effort, based on a shared culture and defined framework of family care is needed to ensure that families of critically ill persons are fully engaged in all aspects of intensive care.

AIM: This study aimed to develop a Family Concordance Competency Scale for Family System Units (FCCS-Fa) for families with children having chronic disease, and to evaluate its reliability and validity. METHODS: FCCS-Fa was developed by taking the following steps: (a) drafting based on the elements comprising concordance between healthcare professionals and families with patients suffering from chronic illness; (b) evaluation of face and content validity by an expert panel; and (c) re-examination of face and content validity by semi-structured interviews with 16 families. Criterion-related validity was evaluated using the existing scale and construct validity was evaluated using exploratory factor analysis. Analysis of each FCCS-Fa evaluation item, internal consistency, and the 2-week test-retest reliability was also conducted. An anonymous self-reported questionnaire survey was conducted, targeting families with chronically ill children who were outpatients at three hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 196 subjects were analyzed. As results of FCCS-Fa item analysis and exploratory factor analysis, a scale structure comprised of 17 evaluation items and three factors were adopted. In addition, a significant correlation with several existing scales was identified and the criterion-related validity was also confirmed. The Cronbach's α coefficient for the overall scale was .927, the intraclass correlation coefficient applying the retest method was .905, and internal consistency and test-retest reliability were both confirmed. CONCLUSIONS: We developed FCCS-Fa with reliability and validity. Assessing family concordance competency using this scale and supporting families to achieve family concordance can lead to self-management by families.

This literature review explored the factors promoting interprofessional collaborative practice for the child maltreatment prevention in Japan. We searched the Japanese database of ICHUSHI-web, focusing on studies published between 1990 and 2015. The studies were examined for methodological quality using the critical appraisal checklists. We initially identified 161 articles and finally selected eight studies that met the selection criteria and were analyzed. The Collaborative Practice Circle based on the Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centered Practice framework, was used as a conceptual framework to analyze the data and to discuss the review findings. Data analysis continued until categories were saturated using content analysis. Five categories as interactional factors, two categories as organizational factors and three categories as systemic factors were identified. The findings revealed that interactional factors were composed of practical competencies and experiences of professionals. Our findings also indicate that educational programs for improving practical competencies of professionals at the individual level and establishing a system of training and human resource development at the organizational level are required. Further research is warranted to examine the impact the challenges outlined in the interactional factors, the organizational interventions and support for clients.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the current status of withholding or withdrawal of life-sustaining interventions (LSI) for neonates in Japan and to identify physician- and institutional-related factors that may affect advance care planning (ACP) practices with parents. STUDY DESIGN: A self-reported questionnaire was administered to assess frequency of withholding and withdrawing intensive care at the respondent's facility, the physician's degree of affirming various beliefs about end-of-life care that was compared to 7 European countries, their self-reported ACP practices and perceived barriers to ACP. Three neonatologists at all 298 facilities accredited by the Japan Society for Neonatal Health and Development were surveyed, with 572 neonatologists at 217 facilities responding. RESULTS: At 76% of facilities, withdrawing intensive care treatments was "never" done, while withholding intensive care had been done "sometimes" or more frequently at 82% of facilities. Japanese neonatologists differed from European neonatologists regarding their degree of affirmation of 3 out of 7 queried beliefs about end-of-life care. In hospitals that were more likely to "sometimes" (or more often) withdraw treatments, respondents were less likely to affirm beliefs about doing "everything possible" or providing the "maximum of intensive care". Self-reported ACP practices did not vary between neonatologists based on their hospital's overall pattern of withholding or withdrawing treatments. CONCLUSION: Among NICU facilities in Japan, 21% had been sometimes withdrawing LSI and 82% had been "sometimes" withholding LSI. Institutional treatment practices may have a strong association with physicians' beliefs that then affect end-of-life discussions, but not with self-reported ACP practices.

BACKGROUND: The older adult population is increasing in number, and elder abuse is expected to become a more pressing problem. Developing tools to assess the presence and severity of elder abuse is important to both effectively prevent this abuse and provide increased support for families. PURPOSE: This study was intended to test the validity of an Assessment Tool for Domestic Elder Abuse (ATDEA). The items that constitute this tool were derived from a literature review. METHODS: Two rounds of self-administered questionnaire surveys were conducted with nurses working at home-visit nursing stations. Round 1 was used to evaluate the face validity, and Round 2 was used to test the content using the content validity index (CVI). RESULTS: Two hundred forty nurses participated in the two studies. In Round 1, 56 nurses evaluated 38 items derived from a literature review, resulting in the development of a 36-item ATDEA. In Round 2, 184 nurses evaluated the content validity of the 36-item ATDEA. The Item-CVI (I-CVI) scores ranged from .61 to 1. Twenty-eight of the items met or exceeded the I-CVI threshold of .78, whereas the eight items assessing self-neglect did not. The overall Scale-CVI score for the assessment tool was .90, which met the threshold of .90. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: The results of validity testing established the preliminary validity of this assessment tool. In addition, as self-neglect is known to damage the well-being of older adults, six of the eight items assessing self-neglect were retained in the ATDEA despite their failure to meet the threshold I-CVI of .78. The remaining two self-neglect items were not included in the ATDEA because of excessively low I-CVI scores (< .70). Thus, the final version of the ATDEA includes 34 items. The authors recommend that nursing professionals use the ATDEA as a checklist to assess the presence of elder abuse and to discern the subtypes and severity of this abuse. When evaluating elder abuse, the higher the degree of severity, the greater the urgency to provide support.

アジアにおける家族看護研究施設のネットワークを構築するため、ブルネイ、カンボジア、中国、香港など12の国と地域の237大学を対象として家族看護研究に関する調査を行った。大学は国際大学協会データベースから看護部門のある大学を選んだ。調査期間は2015年8月から2016年3月で、2008年の調査と同様に、1)家族看護、2)家族看護教育、3)家族看護に関する実地教育、4)家族看護に関する調査と研究、5)家族看護の国際交流、の5つの分野を調べた。10の大学から得られた回答14(香港4、インドネシア2、マレーシア2、フィリピン2、タイ2、ベトナム1、台湾1)を分析した。回答率は前回と同様に低く、全般的な推論を行うことは困難であったが、将来のネットワークに有用と考えられる所見が得られた。アジア諸国における健康の問題から健康管理と看護科学の教育への注目が集まり、社会的要求も増大すると考えられた。