Exploring strategies to encourage community health outreach by health promotion volunteers in Japan.

Japan's health promotion volunteers (HPVs) are individuals who act as a natural helping resource in the community. This study explored the factors associated with vigorous community health outreach by HPVs who promote healthy lifestyles. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in December 2009 that included 822 HPVs in 2 areas. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that higher motivation for initial involvement as an HPV, stronger neighborhood networks, and a stronger sense of belonging to the community where they worked were related to vigorous outreach. These findings reveal challenges that HPVs encounter, and also provide recommendations for training HPVs to encourage effective community health outreach.