Yoshie Sano

The occurrence and frequency of overnight job travel in the USA

This study examined to what extent gender, occupation and family situations influenced the occurrence and frequency of overnight work-related travel that US employees experienced. Unlike previous work, the data analysis allowed for differentiation of the factors associated with being in jobs with any overnight travel demand and the factors related to how frequently respondents travelled. This study particularly tested the hypotheses of occupational segregation and family demands, separately by gender. Consistent with the occupational segregation hypothesis, the occurrence and frequency of work travel varied across the types of occupation and men had a higher chance both to be in jobs with travel overnight demands and to travel more often than women did. The family demands hypothesis was supported by the findings that living with a spouse or partner and taking responsibility for a family member in need of extensive care were associated with the prevalence of work travel.

“My Kids Are More Important Than Money” Parenting Expectations and Commitment Among Appalachian Low-Income Mothers

Focusing on the uncertainty of low-income mothers’ lives, this qualitative study examined the family experiences of 57 Appalachian low-income mothers. With scarce economic resources, mothers forged identities that expressed the centrality of motherhood, concentrated their activities within traditional family expectations, and made decisions that often resisted federal welfare reform expectations for work and family. Work and family policies that acknowledge the commitment of low-income, rural mothers to their children and create supportive employment options for them are needed. Parenting education programs that broaden mothers’ understanding of child discipline are recommended.

Policy Responses to Population-Declining Society: Development and Challenges of Family Policies in Japan

With declining fertility and an increasingly aging population, Japan faces a critical turning point in terms of family policy. These demographic changes, which have occurred against a backdrop of long-term economic stagnation, have strained many current social programs including universal health care and the national pension plan to the breaking point and threaten continued erosion of Japan’s safety net. In response, the Japanese government has implemented various policies and mounted campaigns aimed at increasing total fertility rate and overall family well-being in order to secure a more robust labor force, today and in the future, to support Japan’s aging population. Yet the effectiveness of such policies has been undermined by social norms, gender ideologies, and values that are deeply entrenched in Japanese culture. In this chapter, we present an overview of current Japanese family policies with relevant background information and identify challenges to family policy development and implementation in Japan.

Working Toward Sustained Employment: A Closer Look on Intermittent Employment of Rural, Low-Income Mothers

Working at one point of time does not always mean sustained employment among low-income mothers. The purpose of this study is to investigate what contributes to the different patterns of longitudinal employment by tracking a sample of 131 rural, low-income mothers with intermittent employment over 3 waves. The intermittent employment trajectories are categorized as job change, job loss, and job gain. A mixed-methods approach was chosen to maximize the complementary nature of quantitative and qualitative data. The findings of both multinomial logistic regression and inductive analysis show that individual, family, and structural characteristics play important roles for sustained employment. Case studies vividly illustrate similarities and differences across the 3 patterns of intermittent employment.

“The Kids Still Come First” Creating Family Stability During Partnership Instability in Rural, Low-Income Families

This qualitative study examined the nature of partnerships among 28 rural low-income mothers who experienced partnership transitions across three waves of annual interviews. Guided by lens of uncertainty and boundary ambiguity theory, the authors specifically explored (a) how low-income mothers in rural communities experience partnership transitions over time and (b) how rural, low-income mothers create stability for themselves and their children in the midst of partnership transitions. The narratives of rural, low-income mothers not only featured the uncertainty, unreliability, and instability of their lives but also underscored their resilience and ability to adapt to an impoverished environment. Their decisions to enter into, stay, and leave partnerships, in most cases, were part of their flexible responses to the structural constraints imposed by unemployment, lack of resources, and rural contexts.

A Case Study in Creating Oral Health Messages for Rural Low-Income Families: A Comparison to the Cultural Appropriateness Framework

Culturally appropriate oral health messages are found to be an effective tool to improve oral health among rural, low-income families. Yet knowledge on how to best achieve such messages is lacking. Based on participatory, learner-based approach, this study examined various oral health messages (varied length, detail, and voice) among 75 rural, low-income mothers in nine states in the theoretical framework of cultural appropriateness model. Specifically, we compared the process of our message creation to the differential effects of linguistic, peripheral, evidential, and sociocultural approaches. Results of qualitative analysis showed that low-income mothers, who represent a “rural culture,” prefer messages that (a) have a clear and concise connection between recommendations presented in the message and future economic consequences of inaction, with sufficient explanation; (b) mention problem-specific economic struggles and inaccessibility of resources; (c) include the sources of fluoride, community barriers, availability of professional resources, and the quality of local water; and (d) contain the voice of a dental authority over the voice of other mothers. The applicability of cultural appropriateness framework and policy implications are discussed.

Shaping Core Health Messages: Rural, Low-Income Mothers Speak Through Participatory Action Research

ABSTRACT Rural, low-income families are disproportionately impacted by health problems owing to structural barriers (e.g., transportation, health insurance coverage) and personal barriers (e.g., health literacy). This paper presents a Participatory Action Research (PAR) model of co-created Core Health Messages (CHMs) in the areas of dental health, food security, health insurance, and physical activity. The research project engaged a multi-disciplinary team of experts to design initial health messages; rural, low-income mothers to respond to, and co-create, health messages; and stakeholders who work with families to share their insights. Findings reveal the perceptions of mothers and community stakeholders regarding messages and channels of message dissemination. By using PAR, a learner engagement approach, the researchers intend to increase the likelihood that the CHMs are culturally appropriate and relevant to specific populations. The CHM-PAR model visually illustrates an interactive, iterative process of health message generation and testing. The paper concludes with implications for future research and outreach in a technological landscape where dissemination channels are dynamic. This paper provides a model for researchers and health educators to co-create messages in a desired format (e.g., length, voice, level of empathy, tone) preferred by their audiences and to examine dissemination methods that will best reach those audiences.