Setouchi Iki-Iki Project Activity Report

Hiroshima International University HP

Introduction.

　As a university in the fields of health, medicine, and welfare, our university aims to nurture "true field specialists" who are in demand by the times and the local community. We will report on the activities of the "Setouchi Iki-Iki Project," a student group that brings smiles and health to the local community by taking advantage of the strengths of students studying at this university.

What is the Setouchi Iki-Iki Project?

　It is an extracurricular activity organization with five goals: to support the purpose of living and to revitalize the local community so that islanders can continue to live lively lives on the islands of the Seto Inland Sea, where the population is aging.
(1) Provide health support for the elderly on the islands of Seto Inland Sea so that they can continue to live independently in their own neighborhoods.
(2) Interacting with the elderly on the island and creating a place to bring energy and smiles
(iii) Learn about the characteristics of the island and understand how people live on the island and the thoughts of the elderly.
4) Cooperate in regional revitalization by introducing the island's attractions on SNS and other media.
(5) Acquire basic working skills such as independence, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities through activities
　The members consist of students from the Department of Nursing, the Department of Pharmacy, and the Department of Medical Nutrition, with the second-year students leading the project as the main executives. Two faculty members from the Department of Nursing serve as advisors. The activities are funded by grants from the university and local government, and the project has been adopted by the "Regional Revitalization Support Project," which the university invites applications for every year. Activities are based in Osakikamijima-cho, Toyota-gun, and Toyohama-cho, Kure City, and are carried out in cooperation with the Council of Social Welfare and the Community Development Council.

2. Background of Project Inauguration

　It began when a nursing student met elderly people living in Osaki-kamishima during a gerontological nursing practice, learned about the wisdom of life cultivated by people living on the island, and became interested in the source of the vitality of the elderly people's lively lives. The year 2024 marks the 11th year of the project.

3. Activities

(1) Participation in Fureai Salons
　The project's mainstay activities include participation in the island's Fureai Salon (a place for interaction with the elderly for the purpose of preventing isolation, creating a sense of purpose in life, and preventing nursing care) held regularly, health education by students, health checks (measuring blood pressure, pulse, SpO2, grip strength, etc.), introduction of healthy recipes, and a dinner meeting. The health education uses slides and pamphlets prepared by students to provide useful health information for the elderly, such as fall prevention, dementia prevention, and disaster preparedness. Healthy recipes are created by students under the guidance of faculty members of the University's Department of Medical Nutrition, and are designed to (1) relate to health education (e.g., recipes using high-fiber ingredients based on health education on constipation prevention), (2) use local products of the island, and (3) keep ingredients and procedures simple to suit the characteristics and lifestyle of elderly people. (iii) simplifying the ingredients and procedures to suit the characteristics and lifestyles of the elderly.

(2) Participation in island events
　At island festivals, along with introducing the project's activities, students offer tastings of "hijiki yakisoba" (fried noodles with hijiki), a dish created by students using island specialties. In addition, through participation in a ground golf tournament and tangerine picking, the students deepen exchanges with the elderly while experiencing the island's culture.

(3) Activities to deepen understanding of the island
　The purpose of this activity is to understand the island and the people living on the island, and to discover the island's attractions and issues. In the past, group work had been conducted on campus using existing materials, but in FY2024 this was changed to fieldwork on the island before participating in the Fureai Salon and island events. By actually visiting the site and exploring the town while viewing various landscapes, students were able to visualize the specific lifestyle of the elderly people who were the target of the activities and became more aware of local issues and needs. This experience not only served as an opportunity to talk with the target population at the Fureai Salon and island events, but also led to this year's health education.

4. what was gained through the activities

　The target elderly people were highly satisfied with the exchange with the students, saying, "It was fun to interact with young people for the first time in a long time," and "I felt energized. The two islands where the activities are based have only junior high schools and high schools, so the intergenerational exchange with university students, with whom they do not usually have contact, is a valuable time for the elderly on the islands and one of the things they look forward to. Other responses, such as "I have high blood pressure so I want to be careful" and "I want to practice what I learned in the health education program," indicated a heightened awareness of health.
　On the other hand, the students learned the importance of thinking and acting from the perspective of the target audience, such as how to communicate with the elderly according to their characteristics and how to prepare and explain materials in an easy-to-understand manner. They also felt the joy of being helpful and appreciated by others through words such as "thank you" and "please come again. The students who served as leaders also learned the importance of thorough reporting, communication, and consultation, as well as the importance of planning and acting on their own initiative.

Conclusion

　Community contribution activities targeting the elderly living on the islands are meaningful for both the subjects and the students. Although there are challenges, such as the difficulty of balancing studies and on-site training, we hope to continue this valuable activity for many years to come.