Akemi Matsuzawa

Child deaths with persistent neglected experiences from medico-legal documents in Japan

Few studies have examined the actual conditions of fatal neglect in Japan. The aims of this study were to investigate persistent neglect among child fatalities using medico‐legal documents, and to describe the characteristics of the socio‐familial background and biological data.

Hospital‐based care utilization of children with medical complexity in Japan

Few studies have investigated the hospital‐based care utilization of children with medical complexity (CMC) in Japan. This study examined the frequency and differences in hospital‐based care utilization for CMC according to the level of medical complexity (moderate and severe).

Family empowerment and associated factors in Japanese families raising a child with severe motor and intellectual disabilities

Objectives Family caregivers raising children with severe motor and intellectual disabilities (SMID) experience the enormous burden of care. The concept of family empowerment is one of the important assessment indexes of family nursing from the perspective of providing comprehensive support for these families. The objective of this study was to identify the factors associated with the empowerment of families raising a child with SMID in Japan. Methods We conducted a nationwide questionnaire survey involving 1659 primary caregivers raising a child with SMID through 89 special schools. We assessed the main outcomes using the Family Empowerment Scale (FES). We then conducted a multiple linear regression analysis to reveal the factors associated with family empowerment. Results In total, 1362 primary caregivers were included in our study. Our results show that factors contributing to high FES scores are higher age of the primary caregiver, higher education, greater recognition of regional support, lower childcare burden, higher utilization of home visit services, higher usage of a childcare institution, higher household income, and stronger family bonding. Conclusion Healthcare professionals should carefully assess the state of family empowerment of the primary caregivers who are younger and those who have low education, low household income, high childcare burden, and fragile bonding with the family. Second, they should encourage such families to use regional support resources for childcare. That is, policy makers should consider ways to promote home visits and institutional services for the care of children with SMID, aiming especially for the provision of well-coordinated care and services.

Factors associated with employment of mothers caring for children with intellectual disabilities

Objectives This study investigated employment, financial, and health issues of Japanese mothers with school-aged children with disabilities, and factors associated with participants’ employment. Methods A survey was conducted with 243 Japanese mothers with children aged 6 to 18 years old enrolled in a Special Education Needs School for intellectually disabled children. The mothers’ employment, income, health, and time spent caregiving were compared with those of other Japanese mothers using population data. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with the mothers’ employment status. Results Participants showed a lower employment rate (49%) compared with the average rate (71%) among Japanese mothers with children aged between 6 and 18 years old who lived in the same region. Over half (57%) of unemployed mothers expressed a desire to work. About 62% of mothers belonged to a lower income group, compared to 33% of Japanese families rearing children. The mothers’ single-parent status, good health, college-level education, use of childcare services, and children’s age were positively associated with paid employment. In particular, mothers’ good health was strongly associated with their paid employment. Conclusion Mothers caring for children with disabilities showed lower workforce participation and lower income than other Japanese mothers. The majority of unemployed mothers showed a desire for paid employment. Further maternal health care and social support are needed to support these mothers’ workforce participation.