Development of a health support competence scale for supervisors of female migrant workers in Japan

Abstract Background Supervisors of female migrant workers are expected to support their health, as migrant workers play a vital role in Japan’s economic development. However, this support relies on supervisors’ experience and efforts. Enhancing their competence can improve the quality of support. Th...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Aya Shinohara, Noriko Kuwano, Yoshimitsu Shinagawa, Ryoko Kawasaki, Mayumi Ohnishi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-08-01
Series:BMC Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23837-3
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849331585436876800
author Aya Shinohara
Noriko Kuwano
Yoshimitsu Shinagawa
Ryoko Kawasaki
Mayumi Ohnishi
author_facet Aya Shinohara
Noriko Kuwano
Yoshimitsu Shinagawa
Ryoko Kawasaki
Mayumi Ohnishi
author_sort Aya Shinohara
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Supervisors of female migrant workers are expected to support their health, as migrant workers play a vital role in Japan’s economic development. However, this support relies on supervisors’ experience and efforts. Enhancing their competence can improve the quality of support. Therefore, this study aims to develop and validate the Health Support Competence Scale for Supervisors of Female migrant workers (HSCSS-F) to assess their competence in providing health support. Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted in two steps (i.e., preliminary and main studies) using a self-administered questionnaire. In total, 3,401 eligible supervisors were approached across Japan. Construct validity was evaluated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha for internal consistency. For concurrent validity, the correlation between the HSCSS-F and the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) or the Health-oriented Leadership Staff-Care Value (HoL Staff-Care Value) was determined. Results The study extracted 22 items, which categorized into three factors, namely, health support through human resource development or cultural respect, and support for disease prevention and health promotion. Confirmatory factor analysis suggested a model that fit the data well, with a goodness of fit index = 0.903, adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.881, comparative fit index of 0.909, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.068. A Cronbach’s alpha of 0.925 confirmed internal consistency. The total HSCSS-F score was significantly positively correlated with score for ISS (r = 0.502, p < 0.001) or the HoL Staff-Care Value (r = 0.463, p < 0.001). Conclusion The HSCSS-F is a reliable and valid scale. It could provide supervisors not only with an appropriate assessment of support for the health of female migrant workers but also with a course of action. The acquisition and development of competence in the health support by supervisors would contribute to a healthy life for female migrant workers in a host country.
format Article
id doaj-art-f8406e4bdbec4ff7b36352f8e9e2962c
institution Kabale University
issn 1471-2458
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Public Health
spelling doaj-art-f8406e4bdbec4ff7b36352f8e9e2962c2025-08-20T03:46:29ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-08-0125111110.1186/s12889-025-23837-3Development of a health support competence scale for supervisors of female migrant workers in JapanAya Shinohara0Noriko Kuwano1Yoshimitsu Shinagawa2Ryoko Kawasaki3Mayumi Ohnishi4Department of Community Health Nursing, International Nursing Division, Oita University of Nursing and Health SciencesDepartment of Community Health Nursing, International Nursing Division, Oita University of Nursing and Health SciencesDepartment of Health Science, Health Informatics and Biostatistics Division, Oita University of Nursing and Health SciencesNagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesNagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical SciencesAbstract Background Supervisors of female migrant workers are expected to support their health, as migrant workers play a vital role in Japan’s economic development. However, this support relies on supervisors’ experience and efforts. Enhancing their competence can improve the quality of support. Therefore, this study aims to develop and validate the Health Support Competence Scale for Supervisors of Female migrant workers (HSCSS-F) to assess their competence in providing health support. Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted in two steps (i.e., preliminary and main studies) using a self-administered questionnaire. In total, 3,401 eligible supervisors were approached across Japan. Construct validity was evaluated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha for internal consistency. For concurrent validity, the correlation between the HSCSS-F and the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) or the Health-oriented Leadership Staff-Care Value (HoL Staff-Care Value) was determined. Results The study extracted 22 items, which categorized into three factors, namely, health support through human resource development or cultural respect, and support for disease prevention and health promotion. Confirmatory factor analysis suggested a model that fit the data well, with a goodness of fit index = 0.903, adjusted goodness of fit index = 0.881, comparative fit index of 0.909, and root mean square error of approximation = 0.068. A Cronbach’s alpha of 0.925 confirmed internal consistency. The total HSCSS-F score was significantly positively correlated with score for ISS (r = 0.502, p < 0.001) or the HoL Staff-Care Value (r = 0.463, p < 0.001). Conclusion The HSCSS-F is a reliable and valid scale. It could provide supervisors not only with an appropriate assessment of support for the health of female migrant workers but also with a course of action. The acquisition and development of competence in the health support by supervisors would contribute to a healthy life for female migrant workers in a host country.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23837-3Health supportFemaleMigrant workersSupervisorsScale development
spellingShingle Aya Shinohara
Noriko Kuwano
Yoshimitsu Shinagawa
Ryoko Kawasaki
Mayumi Ohnishi
Development of a health support competence scale for supervisors of female migrant workers in Japan
BMC Public Health
Health support
Female
Migrant workers
Supervisors
Scale development
title Development of a health support competence scale for supervisors of female migrant workers in Japan
title_full Development of a health support competence scale for supervisors of female migrant workers in Japan
title_fullStr Development of a health support competence scale for supervisors of female migrant workers in Japan
title_full_unstemmed Development of a health support competence scale for supervisors of female migrant workers in Japan
title_short Development of a health support competence scale for supervisors of female migrant workers in Japan
title_sort development of a health support competence scale for supervisors of female migrant workers in japan
topic Health support
Female
Migrant workers
Supervisors
Scale development
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-23837-3
work_keys_str_mv AT ayashinohara developmentofahealthsupportcompetencescaleforsupervisorsoffemalemigrantworkersinjapan
AT norikokuwano developmentofahealthsupportcompetencescaleforsupervisorsoffemalemigrantworkersinjapan
AT yoshimitsushinagawa developmentofahealthsupportcompetencescaleforsupervisorsoffemalemigrantworkersinjapan
AT ryokokawasaki developmentofahealthsupportcompetencescaleforsupervisorsoffemalemigrantworkersinjapan
AT mayumiohnishi developmentofahealthsupportcompetencescaleforsupervisorsoffemalemigrantworkersinjapan