A trend study and agenda on health mates : Focus on their activities and government’s support

Abstract

食生活改善推進員に関連するこれまでの研究の動向，とりわけ活動の状況と行政による支援の状況について文献研究から明らかにし，食生活改善推進員が地域での食育推進を継続するために必要となる行政による 支援の方向性を検討した．2024年2月に医学中央雑誌Web版を用いて検索した39文献を分析した結果，食生活改善推進員に関連する研究は年々増加していたが，コロナ禍であった直近5年間に収集されたデータを用いて行われた研究は無かった．先行研究の結果から，食生活改善推進員は活動を通じて，日頃から好ましい健康習慣や健康行動を実践し，自身の健康の保持・増進，介護予防を実現していた一方で，食生活改善推進員の活動の評価は十分に行われていなかった．食生活改善推進員の活動が地域住民の健康の保持・増進にどのように寄与しているのかアウトカム評価を行うこと，食生活改善推進員が新興感染症や再興感染症に適切に対処しながら活動を継続するための方策を検討すること等の行政による支援の必要性が示唆された．I reviewed the literature on Health Mates to confirm the findings and problems relevant to studies focusing on their activities and government’s support, and to explore the necessary measures in order to continue the activities of Food and Nutrition Education /Promotion in their community. Thirty nine articles were searched from the bibliographic web database of Japan Medical Abstracts Society in February 2024 and were analyzed, it was found that the number of the articles on Health Mates published in Japan had been increasing in recent years, but little studies were found that made use of data collected in the last five years during the COVID-19 pandemic. From the findings from previous studies, Health Mates were practiced healthy habits and behaviors regularly, which served as the foundation for maintaining and promoting their own health and preventive care. However, Health Mates’ activities have not been properly evaluated. Therefore, it was suggested that government’s support for Health Mates was needed to conduct outcome evaluations regarding how Health Mates’ activities contribute for maintaining and promoting the health of community residents they support, and to consider ways to enable Health Mates to continue their activities with properly address even during outbreaks of emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases.departmental bulletin pape