Does similarity in educational level between health promotion volunteers and local residents affect activity involvement of the volunteers?
OBJECTIVE
This study examined whether similarity in educational level, as a socioeconomic background factor, between health promotion volunteers (HPVs) and residents in the district where HPVs work encourages the volunteers' involvement in providing activities.


METHODS
Cross-sectional questionnaire survey. A total of 512 HPVs in a Japanese city with 5 districts.


METHODS
We focused on the number of activities related to working as an HPV as an aspect of involvement in the HPV role. HPV individual educational level was collected from a questionnaire. District educational level was obtained from the Japanese census database.


RESULTS
Of 512 questionnaires, 363 were returned and used for the analysis. Multiple regression analysis stratified by district educational level indicated that a higher educational level in HPVs was significantly associated with a greater number of self-motivated activities in the districts with a higher educational level, although the association between a lower HPV educational level and more activity involvement was not found in districts with a lower educational level.


CONCLUSIONS
It is important to consider similarity in educational level, as a socioeconomic status factor, between HPVs and the districts in which they will work when recruiting new members and when allocating HPVs to work areas.
Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo, Japan. murayama@tmig.or.jp
Hiroshi
H
Murayama
Atsuko
A
Taguchi
Sachiyo
S
Murashima
D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003256:Community Participation / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D040241:Social Marketing; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014838:Volunteers