Abstract
Purpose This study aims to establish a Japanese-style healthcare program customized for Japan and Asia under ISO 9001: 2008 (ISO: International Organization for Standardization) to improve problem areas and to inspect the effectiveness of the program. Furthermore, the authors wanted to create this health program using the ISO widely available in Asian countries and make an international contribution. Design/methodology/approach The authors implemented a 6- to 10-month health program in Minowa Town, Matsumoto City and Nagano City in Japan. This study assessed findings from pedometric, anthropometric and blood pressure measurements and physical fitness, blood chemistry and brain function tests. Findings The comparisons were made by examining the interaction effects between groups of participants. Groups from three regions in Japan showed significant differences on the physical fitness tests; regarding the 10-meter obstacle walk, the results of the Minowa participants showed the greatest improvement and the Matsumoto participants showed the second greatest improvement. In the six-min walk, the time of the Minowa participants significantly improved. Research limitations/implications This health education program, which has been conducted by the Japanese authors since 1998, measures anthropometry, brain function and physical fitness and performs blood tests before and after the program and it measures energy consumption with a pedometer during the program. With the aim of improving exercise via encouragement from friends and a sense of community with fellow participants, participants learn together with hands-on training in tai chi and aerobics about the importance of ongoing exercise and proper nutrition. This health education met the Health Education ISO in 2014. Practical implications Since 2010, Nagano Prefecture, including Minowa Town, Matsumoto City and Nagano City, where our study was carried out, has been the area with the highest life expectancy rates in Japan. Social implications The authors want to make this health promotion through ISO widely available in Asian countries and an international contribution. Originality/value This study aimed to appropriately establish a Japanese-style healthcare program under the ISO 9001:2008 to improve problem areas and inspect its effectiveness.
Highlights
In line with the increase in the aging population worldwide, the prevalence of adults greater than 65 years of age are expected to increase from 22.7% in 2010 to 35.6% in 2020 in Japan (United Nation, 2010)
Because the results of the brain function, physical fitness, body weight and blood chemistry test values are significantly improved by exercise comprising 7,000 or more steps (Maruo et al, 2015; Watanabe et al, 2015; Murata et al, 2015), the latest guidelines based on the Helsinki Declaration was adopted by Shinshu University (UMIN000009309)
The average number of daily steps increased from May to October and decreased from November to February
Summary
In line with the increase in the aging population worldwide, the prevalence of adults greater than 65 years of age are expected to increase from 22.7% in 2010 to 35.6% in 2020 in Japan (United Nation, 2010). The social system of preventive care for senior citizens is not in Satomi Fujimori is based the Faculty of Education, Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan. Toshiaki Watanabe and Naoya Taki are both based at the Faculty of Education, Shinshu University, Nagano, Japan. Masao Okuhara is based at Department of Applied Information Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Suwa University of Science, Chino, Japan. Ryoji Uchiyama and Kazuki Ashida are both based at the National Institute of Technology, Nagano College, Nagano, Japan. Hisaaki Tabuchi is based at the Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. Koji Terasawa is based at the Graduate School of Medicine, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, Japan
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