The Japanese Association of School Health

Material

ISSN ONLINE : 1880-2400

[School Health Vol.7, 44-54, 2011]

The Role of School Health Rooms during Disasters and their Facility’s Medical Resources: A Post-Quake Survey Report by Yogo Teachers in Niigata Prefecture

Keiko Sakou*, Tomiko Nakashita**, Asako Izu***, Kiyono Fukushima****, Kumiko Shikama*****,
Chikage Nakamura******, Yukiko Toshima******* and Hisako Kamata****

  • *Graduate School of Health Sciences, Gunma University
  • 3-39-22 Showa, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8514 Japan
  • sakou@health.gunma-u.ac.jp
  • **Faculty of Education, Saitama University
  • 255 Okubo, Sakura-ku, Saitama-city, Saitama 338-8570 Japan
  • ***Department of Social Welfare and Psychology, Niigata Seiryo University
  • 1-5939 Suidoucho, Chuo-ku, Niigata-city, Niigata 951-8121 Japan
  • ****Faculty of Health Care Sciences, Kiryu University
  • 606-7 Azami, Kasagake, Midori-city, Gunma 379-2392 Japan
  • *****Gunma University of Health and Welfare
  • 787-2 Fujioka, Fujioka-city, Gunma 375-0024 Japan
  • ******Kyoto Women’s University
  • 35 Imakumano-Kitahiyoshi, Higashiyama, Kyoto-city, Kyoto 605-8501 Japan
  • *******Graduate School Doctoral Program, Gunma University
  • 3-39-22 Showa, Maebashi, Gunma 371-8514 Japan

[Received February 11, 2011 ; Accepted October 31, 2011]

Keywords:
large earthquake, evacuation site, school health room, Yogo teacher

Free PDF

Abstracts

In natural disasters, do school health rooms have any function as facilities to accommodate local residents with temporary evacuation and emergency care needs? In order to investigate the current conditions and issues of school health rooms regarding their facility and equipment availability, self-administered survey questionnaires were distributed in February 2010 to 372 Yogo teachers (health promotion and nursing professionals similar to school nurses in the West) working in public schools in Niigata prefecture, the epicenter of two recent major earthquake disasters. Surveys included questions about the facilities and equipments of school health rooms. Responses were received from 207 Yogo teachers (response rate: 55.6%): (1) Those who answered that their school health rooms were "capable" of temporarily accommodating school children and local residents in disasters comprised 70.5% of all respondents. However, nearly 50% reported that necessary conditions wer e not met in the physical placement of the school health rooms, citing that ambulances canno make close approaches and that there is no direct access from the school grounds. (2) In terms of school health equipment placement, the rate was below 50% in 35 out of 91 items, including air purifi er, fax machine, toilet, shower, television, and fl ashlights, items that are necessary in the event of an emergency evacuation. More specifi cally, 90% of school health rooms were not well equipped, with only approximately 10% of them having toilets, showers, and conference rooms. (3) In terms of school health equipment installation, more than half of the Yogo teachers reported that they were aware of the need to have in place 58 out of the 91 listed pieces of equipment in school health rooms. Many of the items were "equipment for information collection" or for "primary health care and disease prevention." (4) A comparison between Yogo teachers in non-stricken and stricken areas showed that the nonstricken area group tended to recognize the need for school health room equipment and Yogo teachers more highly than those in the stricken area group. These results revealed the current status of equipment installation in public school health rooms in Niigata prefecture. The installation rate of "equipment for information collection" (e.g., personal computers and internet access) exceeded 80%, but the rate of televisions and fax machines was low. In addition, regarding "primary health care and disease prevention" materials, while all school health rooms had fi rst-aid kits and related supplies, the installation rates of crutches, wheelchairs, toilets, showers, and sterilizers were low and the budgets for installing new equipment were limited. The survey results suggest that in order to meet a wide range of health care needs for local residents in disasters from the perspective of disaster management and in coordination with local public health organizations, additionally, national standards for equipment installation in school health rooms should be re-examined and crisis management conducted in coordination with local public health organizations.

References

  • Fujioka. T. & Fujomori.K (2009). School health rooms are earthquake disaster centers. Juniors' visual Journal, pp. 47. (in Japanese)
  • Ishizuka, C. & Inoue, F. (2010). Evaluations of elementary school health office locations by Yogo teachers. Japanese Journal of School Health, 52: 295-304. (in Japanese)
  • Japanese Society of School Health (2004). Professionalism of Yogo Teachers and Promotion of School Health Office Management Based on Facility Functions (pp. 69-75). (in Japanese)
  • Japanese Society of Public Health (2007). Abstracts of the 66th Annual Meeting of Japanese Society of Public Health (in Ehime prefecture), 54. (in Japanese)
  • Matsushima, N., & Kamei, E. (1998). Impact of the Great Hanshin Earthquake on school children: Interviews with Yogo teachers. Bulletin of Osaka Kyoiku University (III), 47: 147-155. (in Japanese)
  • Nagai, K. (1996). Roles of Yogo teachers and schools as evacuation sites for local residents. Bulletin of Social Medicine, 14: 31-33. (in Japanese)
  • Niigata Nippo (2007). A record of daily reports on the Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake Niigata city, pp. 1-2, 2007: Niigata Nippo-sha: A daily report company. (in Japanese)
  • Niigata Prefecture (2007). Report of damage of the Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake. The 172nd Press Release Resource. (in Japanese)
  • Nishimura, T. Tokuyama, A. Mizukami,Y. et.al (1998). A study of school disaster control systems in disasters, disaster control education programs, and promoting volunteer activity (A Report of the 1996-97Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (1). Hyogo University of Teacher Education. (in Japanese)
  • Sakou,K. Nakashita,T. Izu,A. et.al (2011). School health activities of Yogo teachers and functions of school health offices in the Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake: Qualitative analysis of interview data for Yogo teachers. Public Health, 58: 274-281.
  • The Department of Sports in the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (1986). The 105th Public Notice, “Physical Resources of School Health Offices”. (in Japanese)
  • The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2003). Guidelines for Children's Mental Health Care in Disasters (Revised). (in Japanese)
  • The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (2008). The 522nd Public Notice, Education 20, Sport, “Issue of a Law for Revising Part of the School Health and Safety Law”.
  • The Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (2000). The 144th public notice, article 2, paragraph 1, item 1, " Guidelines for the degree, method, and period of relief based on the Disaster Relief Act and actual cost of compensation." (in Japanese)
  • The Niigata Prefecture Association of Yogo Teachers, ed. (2005). Urgent Report: Lessons from the Niigata Chuetsu Earthquake, Reflecting Yogo Teacher Engagement. (in Japanese)
  • Tokuyama, A. Taura,K. Nishimura,T.et.al (1996). An urgent study of the roles of schools and teachers in the 1995 Hyogo Nambu Earthquake; Issues of school disaster control systems and disaster control education programs. In Hyogo University of Teacher Education, Earthquake Disaster Investigation Team. (in Japanese)
  • Ueno, M. Nakayama,K. Hattori,S et.al (1996). Mental and physical conditions of children and engagement of school health offices after the Hanshin Earthquake. Bulletin of Osaka Prefectural College of Nursing, 2: 41-49. (in Japanese)
  • Yokoyama, M. & Idei, R. (2007). Primary healthcare by Yogo teachers and current conditions and issues of infection control regarding hand hygiene. Japanese Journal of School Health, 49: 299-301. (in Japanese)

▲ Go to top of page