Communication between Health Professionals and Community Residents in Fukushima: A Focus on the Feedback Loop

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Communication
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Effective communication between health professionals and communities is vital.
• Health literacy training aims to improve these interactions.
• Post-disaster scenarios, like the Fukushima nuclear accident, highlight communication needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of health literacy training workshops on public health nurses' attitudes towards community feedback.
• To explore the relationship between workshop attendance and nurses' feedback acceptance.
• To identify factors associated with positive feedback acceptance.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire survey was conducted with 723 public health nurses in Fukushima.
• Data analyzed included feedback acceptance, work environment, and health literacy levels.
• Comparison made between workshop attendees and non-attendees.

Main Results:

• Nurses who attended health literacy workshops were more likely to accept feedback (amount, specificity, satisfaction).
• Work engagement was positively associated with accepting feedback across all measured aspects.
• Past workshop attendance was linked to significantly higher odds of accepting community feedback.

Conclusions:

• Health literacy training enhances public health nurses' receptiveness to community feedback.
• Organizational support, including improved work environments and training systems, is essential.
• Investing in nurse training can strengthen professional-community relationships and improve public health accessibility.