Objectives: To investigate the everyday lives and public healthcare needs of Brazilian nursing mothers and pregnant women residing in Japan, during the pregnancy and postpartum period, and the difficulties experienced in using or accessing the Japanese public healthcare system.
Methods: The participants included 10 Brazilian expectant mothers who were residing in Prefecture A, but did not understand Japanese well, and those who were delivering for the first time in Japan. From August 2007 to July 2009, the researcher and interpreter conducted fieldwork by accompanying participants to medical examinations and making home visits. Analysis of the findings of this field study was carried out by labeling the relevant field note descriptions of each participant's thoughts and feelings concerning pregnancy and childbirth, the state of their everyday lives, and any additional public health-related difficulties encountered during this time. Additionally, individuals with common occurrences were again grouped and categorized for performing the analysis.
Results: Among the 10 participants, 8 were in their twenties and 2 were in their thirties; 8 participants had lived in Japan for less than 3 years and 2 of them for less than 10 years. Eight participants had had no prior experience with childbirth, whereas 2 had experienced childbirth. All 10 had resigned from work before entering into the late pregnancy stage, rendering their economic conditions solely dependent upon their husbands' income. In fact, many participants were in a difficult financial state. 6 women lived with their husbands, 2 others lived with husbands and had children, and 2 others were living with their husbands and parents in the same house. Six participants had families nearby that could provide support. However, none of the 10 participants maintained interactions with friends after having resigned from work. Participants were organized into the following 4 major categories based on the state of their everyday lives and the difficulties experienced in terms of public health: (I) women who had strong support from immediate families, but very little everyday interaction with friends and neighbors; (II) women who were forced to lead irregular lifestyles due to demanding workload, which consequently exerted more burden on their bodies; (III) women who did not have sufficient information regarding childbirth in Japan and who were anxious due to lack of information and comprehension; and (IV) women who were confused due to the system and customs that were different from their country of origin.
Conclusion: The everyday lives of Brazilian pregnant women living in Japan tend to be isolated, and these women have a tendency to maintain irregular living conditions. With respect to the available facilities in the Japanese public healthcare system, these Brazilian women lacked sufficient information concerning pregnancy and childbirth in Japan, and were often perplexed by the different maternity health standards between Japan and Brazil, such as those regarding weight gain. It is important to understand the living conditions of such women residing in Japan, to form stable relationships with them from the beginning of their pregnancies, to formulate a plan to prevent them from being isolated after childbirth, and to create responses that consider information found in their native country Brazil. Furthermore, municipalities, public health centers, obstetric and pediatric medical facilities, international associations, private support organizations, and employers should cooperate with each other to establish a support system that includes the dissemination of side-by-side translation charts and manuals for intercultural understanding of public health regarding pregnancy; in addition, seminars and consultation sessions should be conducted.