| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
OGAWA Sumiko University of the Ryukyus, Faculty of Medicine, Instructor, 医学部, 助手 (20244303)
ZHENG KUI Cheng University of the Ryukyus, Faculty of Medicine, Instructor, 医学部, 助手 (90315466)
ARIZUMI Makoto University of the Ryukyus, Faculty of Medicine, Professor (90143883)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,800,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000)
Fiscal Year 2004: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Fiscal Year 2003: ¥1,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000)
Fiscal Year 2002: ¥2,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,000,000)
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| Research Abstract |
[Introduction]
Problems of policy assessment in the public health of Japan include the following points : 1)Simply verifying past public health policy decisions is insufficient. 2)Currently there is no effective evaluation process. 3)Policy decisions have a significant impact on public health. In an attempt to address the above concerns, this research put together an integrated Okinawan document database from General Head Quarter/Supreme Command Allied Power(GHQ/SCAP) and United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands(USCAR) from the viewpoint of the reconstruction policy in postwar Okinawa and examined the potential to use it in modern contexts. The significance and applications of the GHQ Okinawa database can be thought about in the following ways. : 1)There is ability to identify and analyze changes in policy decision making over time, 2)The numerical data support the validity of the analysis, 3)There is ability to compare and contrast U.S. policy decisions in Okinawa and m
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ainland Japan, 4)Lessons can be applied to postwar rehabilitation efforts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and regions of Africa. Our research purpose was focused on the decision process of the policy making of the nutrition policy in postwar Okinawa by the US, a comprehensive database must be created to enable systematic evaluation and analysis of public health decision making practices.
[Purpose]
Documents related to policy decisions in the nutrition/food area in the Okinawa-related files of GHQ/SCAP/PHW are useful when reviewing the following questions. (1)Is it possible to determine the relationships between documents and policy decisions with the nutrition transition based on the changes in food consumption structure and energy intake accompanied by the transitions in staple foods (sweet potato -> (flour) -> rice)? And is it possible to disclose the background to the transitions in staple foods in various aspects of the policy? (2)Related to (1), is it possible to determine the aspects of the processes of policy decisions such as energy requirement, school lunches and nutrition surveys? (3)Is it possible to relate the effects of policy decisions to the relationships between health measurements and physical measurements (height, weight, BMI, etc.) as outcomes of nutrition intake? (4)Is it possible to interpret these relations (in (3)above) using the numerical data on food supply, distribution and intake? (5)Is it possible to consider the policy making process taking advantage of the many types of files remaining, such as statistical references, research reports and notes? (6)Is it possible to consider the approaches to regions with different food cultures (such as food support) from the perspective of contact between different cultures? (7) Is it possible to use it as a basic reference when making decisions for an ideal model of international support in the area of food support and nutrition to countries in East Asia and South East Asia having mainly a rice culture? The above issues have been raised to disclose the process of policy decisions through an approach from the nutrition/food area. This report outlines the nutrition/food-related files of PHW.
[Method]
Using the CD-ROM database of the Okinawa version of the GHQ/SCAP/PHW files, a search was conducted for relevant files from the lists of titles and people concerned in the nutrition/food-related category, and then files were selected in the other categories in which nutrition personnel or relevant items were found. The selected files were basically summarized, and the important files translated from English into Japanese.
[Results and Discussion]
Sixty-two files were selected. The files were organized into 7 sub-categories consisting of "Nutrition/Food Statistics", "Nutrition/Food Research (including anthropometric data)", "Energy/Nutrition Requirement", "Food Distribution/Support", "School Lunch", "Nutritionist Education" and "Others". Excluding "Others" the total of "Food Distribution/Support(27%)", "Nutrition Research (21%)" and "School Lunch(13%)" accounted for 61 %. Regarding the outline of the time serial transition per category, it has been assumed that "Nutrition Research" was considered and "(Emergency) Food Support" was conducted in 1945, the "Energy/Nutrition Requirement" was tentatively calculated in 1947, the "Nutrition Survey" was conducted in 1949 in almost the same format as the one conducted in Tokyo in 1945 and then, "School Lunch" and "(Planned) Food Support" were simultaneously implemented. 1.The flow of the decision order to finalize the energy intake is : (Analysis of Statistical Reference) -> (Definition of Survey Design) -> (Implementation of Survey) -> (Analysis of Survey) -> (Finalization of Energy Intake Based on Survey). 2.The nutrition policy in Okinawa wasn't really implemented until 1949. 3.PHW's reason for the food distribution policy was the required energy as per nutrition type (age/class) based on the survey result. 4.Based on the result of the nutrition survey through the Weighing Method conducted on approximately 500 residents in 1949, the food distribution plan was finalized in a relatively short period of time (about 2 months). 5. From the notes in the PHW files, it is assumed that plans made by specialists in statistics were apparently implemented. 6.Although it is barely apparent in the PHW files, the contribution of the health/medical workers on the Okinawa side, as well as that of the specialists sent from the mainland, cannot be ignored. C.F.Sams (Director of GHQ/PHW) announced the most important items of the public health program in Okinawa in the report in 1947. In the report, Sams gave the second priority to "nutrition" and warned that it was necessary to make a general plan to provide adequate meals, and to conduct nutrition research for collecting basic data (Memorandum for the record. Sams CF.19 June 1947). In the future, it will be necessary to analyze each process of data collection -> implementation -> result -> evaluation in the aspects of quantity and quality based on the actual situation of the order and influence of target-setting and ideas of each organization and individual to disclose the planning process of the nutrition/food policy by PHW.
[Conclusions]
1)Okinawa can be used as a case study to assist in current and future post-war reconstruction efforts. 2)Public policy can be adjusted according to strengths and weaknesses of the Okinawa model. 3)A comprehensive model can be developed for public health policy in post war countries. Less
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