Competencies of occupational health professionals for disaster management based on their own experiences
Introduction: This study aims to clarify whether the competencies required of occupational health professionals for disaster management, identified from experiences in a single disaster, can be agreed upon by occupational health professionals with experience in other disaster responses. Methods: Thi...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Japan Society for Occupational Health
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Environmental and Occupational Health Practice |
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| _version_ | 1818329422571241472 |
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| author | Tomoko Yokogawa Etsuko Yoshikawa Hitomi Abe Seiichiro Tateishi Koji Mori |
| author_facet | Tomoko Yokogawa Etsuko Yoshikawa Hitomi Abe Seiichiro Tateishi Koji Mori |
| author_sort | Tomoko Yokogawa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: This study aims to clarify whether the competencies required of occupational health professionals for disaster management, identified from experiences in a single disaster, can be agreed upon by occupational health professionals with experience in other disaster responses. Methods: This study employed a quantitative study design using a questionnaire. The participants were occupational health professionals. The questionnaire included 29 competencies identified from the experiences of occupational health activities conducted during the Kumamoto earthquake. Items were rated from 1 (not necessary at all) to 5 (very necessary) by the participants. Exploratory factor analysis of the responses was performed. Result: The participants were 334 (29.9%), of which 97 (29.0%) answered that they had disaster response experience. Factor analysis was performed by setting three factors for 22 items. Factors 1, 2, and 3 were labeled “skills about coordinating within the organization,” “practical ability to respond to changing situations,” and “consistency as occupational health professionals,” respectively. Discussion: In the event of a disaster, occupational health professionals are required to ensure their own safety, grasp the occupational health needs changing over time, and make decisions based on changing situations. The study suggests that a disaster response is a rare experience even for specialists in occupational health. To enable them to appropriately play their roles in occupational health response during disasters, a system of education aimed at maintaining coherence as the occupational health profession and demonstrating coordinating and practical skills in the event of a disaster should be established. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T12:47:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a0b52e9996444e99a03435003252adbd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2434-4931 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T12:47:49Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | Japan Society for Occupational Health |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental and Occupational Health Practice |
| spelling | doaj.art-a0b52e9996444e99a03435003252adbd2022-12-21T23:45:26ZengJapan Society for Occupational HealthEnvironmental and Occupational Health Practice2434-49312021-03-013110.1539/eohp.2020-0023-OACompetencies of occupational health professionals for disaster management based on their own experiencesTomoko Yokogawa0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9261-3482Etsuko Yoshikawa 1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7473-3093Hitomi Abe 2Seiichiro Tateishi 3Koji Mori 4Shizuoka Health Care Office, Health Care Center, Central Japan Railway Company,JapanDepartment of Nursing, Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing,JapanTokai University, Graduate School of Medicine,JapanDepartment of Occupational Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan,JapanDepartment of Occupational Health Practice and Management, Institute of Industrial Ecological Sciences, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, Japan,JapanIntroduction: This study aims to clarify whether the competencies required of occupational health professionals for disaster management, identified from experiences in a single disaster, can be agreed upon by occupational health professionals with experience in other disaster responses. Methods: This study employed a quantitative study design using a questionnaire. The participants were occupational health professionals. The questionnaire included 29 competencies identified from the experiences of occupational health activities conducted during the Kumamoto earthquake. Items were rated from 1 (not necessary at all) to 5 (very necessary) by the participants. Exploratory factor analysis of the responses was performed. Result: The participants were 334 (29.9%), of which 97 (29.0%) answered that they had disaster response experience. Factor analysis was performed by setting three factors for 22 items. Factors 1, 2, and 3 were labeled “skills about coordinating within the organization,” “practical ability to respond to changing situations,” and “consistency as occupational health professionals,” respectively. Discussion: In the event of a disaster, occupational health professionals are required to ensure their own safety, grasp the occupational health needs changing over time, and make decisions based on changing situations. The study suggests that a disaster response is a rare experience even for specialists in occupational health. To enable them to appropriately play their roles in occupational health response during disasters, a system of education aimed at maintaining coherence as the occupational health profession and demonstrating coordinating and practical skills in the event of a disaster should be established.competenciesdisaster managementoccupational health professionalsquantitative study |
| spellingShingle | Tomoko Yokogawa Etsuko Yoshikawa Hitomi Abe Seiichiro Tateishi Koji Mori Competencies of occupational health professionals for disaster management based on their own experiences Environmental and Occupational Health Practice competencies disaster management occupational health professionals quantitative study |
| title | Competencies of occupational health professionals for disaster management based on their own experiences |
| title_full | Competencies of occupational health professionals for disaster management based on their own experiences |
| title_fullStr | Competencies of occupational health professionals for disaster management based on their own experiences |
| title_full_unstemmed | Competencies of occupational health professionals for disaster management based on their own experiences |
| title_short | Competencies of occupational health professionals for disaster management based on their own experiences |
| title_sort | competencies of occupational health professionals for disaster management based on their own experiences |
| topic | competencies disaster management occupational health professionals quantitative study |
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