School nurses and health education for pupils with and without intellectual handicaps: a study conducted in Japan and Sweden.

The purpose of this study is to report the results from a questionnaire that was given to about 600 school nurses working in schools which have pupils with and without intellectual handicaps in Japan and Sweden, concerning their opinions on health education including sex and interpersonal relationships. The study was conducted during the spring 1987 in Sweden and during the autumn 1987 in Japan. The main results from this study concern differences between Japanese and Swedish school nurses when answering certain questions. These questions, for instance, concerned the nurses' working situation and their health education for pupils with and without intellectual handicaps. Of all the Japanese school nurses 27%, compared to 90% of the Swedish school nurses, taught about health including sex and interpersonal relationships in regular classes. Of school nurses having pupils with intellectual handicaps, only 1% of the Japanese school nurses, compared to 47% of the Swedish school nurses, taught their pupils these subjects. These differences merely seemed to be related to the educational system, including its curriculum, reflecting the general policy held within each country.