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About
Introduction and Overview
Since its inception in 1993, the following four professors have led the Department of Community and Global Health: Professors Gen Ohi (April 1993 - March 1996), Som-Arch Wongkhomthong (June 1996 - March 1999), Susumu Wakai (August 1999- March 2006), and Masamine Jimba (June 2006 - March 2023).
Keywords in this department are both community health and global health. To improve health at these levels, we need knowledge, wisdom, and grit. In a frequently changing world with unexpected emerging health challenges, our knowledge based on academic research often needs to be revised. To overcome the lack of knowledge, wisdom is necessary, which can be gained through the experiences of the people who live in the communities. However, wisdom is not sufficiently helpful during difficult periods of time. It is grit that can make a breakthrough in such a situation. We can strengthen community action by mobilizing available knowledge, wisdom, and grit. We then seek to link grassroots efforts within communities with national and global policies that affect these communities, empowering the citizens to improve their lives. Our goal is to narrow the health gap at the community and international levels.
Moreover, we need to go beyond the health target. Good health is one aspect of life; most people seek something more. We must ask ourselves: how can we go beyond health to help people lead better lives? This question is intrinsic to our education and research. Students and staff members must always maintain sight of it.
As of November 2024, the department members include 1 lecturer, 1 assistant professor, 2 secretaries, 11 visiting lecturers, 4 doctoral students, 5 master's degree students, and 43 visiting researchers. More than half of the department's students are international students. A new professor is under election.
Education
The main objectives of our teaching activities are
- To train researchers who understand and complement the wise activities of practitioners in the field.
- To train practitioners who can also wisely carry out research in the field.
Our goal is to nurture a new generation of global health leaders who are open to conventional approaches to community and global health issues. We want them to be able to integrate their knowledge and experience with what they learn from people who live and work in communities in resource-limited settings. We want them to develop their inner voice to guide them as they face the challenges of protecting and improving the health and wellbeing of the world's most vulnerable people. We want to help our students become compassionate global health leaders, having long-term perspectives beyond 50 or even 100 years later.
The department's graduate school offers a selection of advanced community and global health courses, which involve theoretical exercises and practical activities. All curricula focus on community health. We will teach qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods throughout the year. We have also started to use AI for new research. Beyond the core subjects, our primary educational activities include technical assistance writing master's and doctoral theses. We encourage students to publish their theses in international journals. In addition, we encourage students to gain field experience to understand the reality of global health in a resource-limited setting. We address the following areas of competency in the curricula:
- Understanding health policy, disease patterns, and the determinants of health in resource-limited settings
- Impact of culture and social structure on health
- Global health governance and leadership
- Project management
- Research ethics and human rights
Click on the link to download the list of the courses offered in the department (PDF).
More than half of the department's students are international students. Therefore, we use English for all lectures, practices, and discussions. For those without a health/medical background, we provide a wide variety of courses that cover critical health topics from a basic to an advanced level.
We also train young international leaders by offering a range of specialized lectures at different universities.
Research
The primary objectives of our research activities include:
- To promote research that has a significant social impact on global and local communities.
- To promote research that contributes to endogenous development.
Our goal is to carry out community-based research that will generate data that is directly collected from the field. Therefore, we place significant importance on fieldwork. At the same time, our department aims to contribute to policymaking and promote actions to improve health and wellbeing outcomes by making the best use of community-based research. We conduct research by working with different research institutes, international organizations, JICA, NGOs, and universities.
Major topics of current research include the following:
- health, nutrition, and development;
- health, human rights, and human security;
- migrant health,
- infectious disease control;
- health promotion at schools and communities;
- disaster and health;
- human resources for health;
- maternal, newborn, and child health.
We have conducted our research in various countries, including Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Lao PDR, Cambodia, Indonesia, China, East Timor, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, Haiti, and Peru.
International Cooperation
Primary objectives of our international cooperation activities include:
- To promote domestic and international cooperation that supports endogenous development.
- To promote asset-oriented development models.
International cooperation is one of our activities. Just as staff of clinical departments/laboratories work on both education/research and clinical activities, our staff members engage in various international cooperation activities, including working as consultants. We are mindful that our cooperation activities should be culture-sensitive and avoid a top-down approach. We would ideally encourage and "wait" for counterparts/countries' endogenous development efforts to solve their problems. Therefore, we focus on the positive deviance approach and asset model approach. With that in mind, we have engaged in international cooperation activities.
Ph.D. and master's theses
Ph.D. Theses(博士論文)
2024
- Neo Kazembe Household Living Arrangement Changes and Influences on Older Adult's Health in Rural Malawi: Secondary Data Analysis Study
- Suhyoon Choi Effectiveness of parenting intervention on a child's diet, early stimulation, and father involvement in childcare in rural Malawi: a cluster-randomized controlled trial
2023
- Moeko Nagai Development and validation of health literacy scale for people living with HIV for their non-communicable disease prevention in Vietnam
- Mika KUNIEDA(KONDO) Identifying modifiable factors associated with fully vaccinated children in Niger: a cross-sectional study
- An Dang Do Machine learning application in predicting antibiotic resistance and guiding empiric antibiotic therapy in intensive care units in Vietnam
2022
- Kayono NAKAJIMA Effectiveness of Quality Maternal and Newborn Health Care for Improving Continuum of Care and Maternal Satisfaction Ermera municipality, Timor-Leste: A Type 2 Implementation-effectiveness Hybrid Quasi-experimental Trial
- Lisa Mari HARTWIG The effectiveness of a behavioral science and design intervention for family savings on increased use of maternal health services and male involvement: a randomized controlled trial
- Ami FUKUNAGA The association between coffee and tea consumption and diabetes status in rural communities in Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam
2021
- Julian NATUKUNDA Characterizing long-term engagement in community antiretroviral therapy refill groups for people living with HIV. A mixed methods study leveraging the positive deviance approach in Uganda
- Mohammed B.A. SARHAN Health literacy as a key to improving weight status among Palestinian adolescents living in chronic conflict conditions
- Subaru IKEDA Assessment of multidimensional quality of maternal and newborn care in Nepal: Secondary data analysis
- Mariam Namasaba Effect of cognitive behavioural therapy training on the resilience of caregivers of children with disabilities in urban Uganda: a cluster randomized controlled trial
2020
- Kyoko KOTO Mixed methods study on nursing curriculum analysis in Cambodia: Towards development of critical thinking requirements among nursing students
- Maya FUJIMURA Analysis of the nutritional status of children under age 5 years; a case study of Namibia
- Hodaka KOSUGI Positive deviance for promoting dual-method contraceptive use among women in Uganda
- Rachana Manandhar Shrestha Evaluation of School Health and Nutrition Program in Nepal
2019
- Akira Shibanuma Effect of a package of continuum of care interventions on the completion of maternal, newborn, and child health care in Ghana: a cluster-randomized trial
- Hikari Sandhu Potential use of arts activities as a community-based health resource in super-aged societies: Qualitative research
- Richa SHAH Frailty and adverse health outcomes in community-dwelling older people and those living in old age homes in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal: a cross-sectional study
Master Theses(修士論文)
2025
- Rita Adhikari Prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension and associated factors among pregnant women in India: A repeated cross-sectional study using nationally representative data
- Khulan Gansukh Validity and Reliability of the Mongolian version of the Knowledge about Older Patients Quiz (KOP-Q) and Kogan’s Attitudes Toward Old People Scale (Kogan’s OP scale)
- Munkhgerel Davaa Association between food choice motives and sustainable healthy eating behavior among Mongolian adults: a cross-sectional study
- Prieska Dinda Astriena The Association of Dietary Quality & Behavior with Oral Health Status among Community Residents in Bandung, Indonesia
2024
- Cho Zin Waing Association between Mental Health Literacy and Mental Health Care Competency among Healthcare Workers in Conflict Zones of Myanmar: A cross-sectional study
- Yanjinlkham Munkhsaikhan Social Capital and Quality of Life among Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Mongolia: A cross-sectional study
2023
- Beiyan Zhu Association of COVID-19 infection and mental health of international university and college students in the United States
- Muna Adhikari Association of mental health literacy with nonsuicidal self-injury among adolescents in Kathmandu, Nepal
- Hiroyuki Mikuni Formation and significance of spiritual health among the elderly population in Okikamuro Island, Yamaguchi, Japan: A qualitative research
- Minami Miyata Use of the digital Maternal and Child Health Handbook and its association with adaptation to pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study
- Meaghan Ayaka Okutomi Use of the electronic Maternal and Child Health Handbook and its association with mother-to-infant bonding: A cross-sectional study
- Inrasothythep Neth Effects of film-based intervention on sexual and reproductive health-seeking intention and behavior of Cambodian youth: A randomized controlled trial
- Risa Morita Factors associated with the health check-up attendance and diabetes control among Palestine refugees with type 2 diabetes in the Gaza Strip: A retrospective cohort study
- Nicholas Martin DORIA-Anderson Assessing the Psychometric Properties of a Myanmar Translation of the Scales for Psychological Well-Being with Migrants and Refugees in Thailand
- Megumi Nishi Perceived discrimination among immigrants in Japan and its association with their mental well-being: A cross-sectional study
- Sujata ADHIKARI Association between perceived social support and health-seeking behavior of Nepalese migrants in Japan: A cross-sectional study
- Ruosu Liu Association between health insurance literacy and participation in supplementary health insurance among low-and middle-income working population in Shandong, China: A cross-sectional study
2022
- Kathleen Denise Soriano Examining resilience and health-related quality of life of Filipino school-age children in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic: a community based, cross-sectional study
- Daiki Fujii Infectious disease-specific health literacy and discriminative attitude related to COVID-19 in Japan: a cross-sectional study
- Bao Quy Quoc Truong Psychometric Properties of the Vietnamese Version of the Parent Attitudes About Childhood Vaccines (PACV) Survey Tool: A Cross-sectional Study
- Reina Sawada Factors associated with mental well-being among English-speaking international migrants in Japan: a web-based, cross-sectional study
- Riona Fujimoto Factors associated with young women’s age at sexual initiation in low- and middle-income countries in South and Southeast Asia: A cross-sectional study
- Niaya Harper Igarashi Factors associated with job satisfaction and well-being among Southeast Asian long-term care workers in Japan
- Asumi Komagamine Association between Quality of Life of the Patients Diagnosed with Cluster Headache and Social Support in Japan: A cross-sectional study
2021
- Sophearen Ith Gender‐Based Violence and Depressive Symptoms among Female Entertainment Workers in Cambodia: A Cross-Sectional Study
- Zin Wai Htay Association between women's empowerment and unmet need for family planning in low-and middle-income countries in Southeast Asia: a cross-sectional study
- Prasant Vikram Shahi Identifying positive deviants and factors associated with healthy dietary practices among the students of the school and home garden project in Nepal
- Alpha Pokharel Association of workload and practice of respectful maternity care among the healthcare providers: a cross-sectional study in the south-western part of Nepal
- Kuniko Arita Occupational Competence and Mental Well-being among Chinese and Vietnamese Technical Intern Trainees in Japan
- Pratisha Shakya Help-seeking intentions for depressive symptoms among Nepalese international students in Japan: An analysis using the Theory of Planned Behavior
- Junaedi Ahmad Factors associated with facilitators and barriers of physical distancing compliance among young adults in Jakarta Metropolitan Area, Indonesia during coronavirus disease(COVID-19) pandemic: a Photovoice mixed methods study
- Suhyoon Choi Association between social capital and childcare practices in rural Malawi: a cross-sectional study
2020
- Yuko Teshima Prevalence, trend, and factors of the double burden of malnutrition at the individual level: a multilateral analysis
- Kaiwei Yan Effect of Doctor-patient Relationship and Empathy on Burnout of Physicians of Comprehensive Hospitals in Chengdu, Sichuan: A Cross-sectional Study
- Ulambayar Shinejil Changes in Cesarean Section Rates in Mongolia and Associated Factors: Analysis based on Robson Classification
- Russell Miller International migrants' social participation and mental well‐being in Tokyo: A mixed methods study
- Keiko Aihara Factors associated with the hospitals’ reluctance to improve their facilities and services for foreign patients in Japan
- Madhu Kharel Parental migration and psychological well-being of left-behind adolescents in Western Nepal
- Yuri Tomita Association between delivery care experience and maternal mental health after delivery: a cross-sectional study in Dhading, Nepal
- Yuko Tokida Nutritional status gap among primary school children in urban and rural Tanzania: a cross-sectional study
- Krishna Prasad Sapkota Factors associated with nutritional status of children with disabilities in Kathmandu, Nepal: A cross-sectional study
- Aya Mizukami Determinants of health-related quality of life among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in Hanoi, Vietnam
- Bachelin Max Etienne Association between the cosmetic use of skin lightening products and preeclampsia among Haitian migrants in Chile: A retrospective cohort study
2019
- Risa Sakamoto Suicidal behaviors and health risk behaviors among adolescents in the US territory of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
- Afina Nur Fauziyyah Factors Associated with Primary Care Seeking Behavior in Low Catchment Area of BPJS-Health Primary Care Partners in Bandung, Indonesia
- Mariam Namasaba Coping strategies and resilience in care-takers of children with disabilities in Kampala, Uganda
- Karuna Phoomwittaya Sub-district health promoting hospital’s roles in promoting postnatal care utilization among Hmong mothers in Tak province, Thailand
- Nirajan Khadka Antenatal visits and utilization of immunization services among mothers with children aged 16-23 months in Nepalgunj, Nepal
- Divya Bhandari Factors associated with the breast cancer screening intention in Kathmandu valley, Nepal
- Lynn Thet Su Mon Tuberculosis literacy and practice of infection control among pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Yangon, Myanmar
- Neo Kazembe Universal Test and Treat in Malawi: Link between stage of HIV infection at ART enrolment, medication adherence and loss to follow-up
- Subaru Ikeda Factors associated with the length of stay in a health facility after childbirth in Dhading, Nepal