Exploring mutual support awareness in Japanese communities: A pilot study

Objective: The study aimed to examine life situations and perceptions related to the recognition of mutual support among Japanese people. Design: A quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional analysis. Sample: Nine hundred and nine participants who provided complete questionnaire responses. Measurements: As a disaster prevention measure, a community center conducted a “questionnaire survey evaluating the recognition of mutual support and several potentially related factors”. In our study, these data from a self-administered questionnaire were used secondarily. Results: The perceptions that differed with regard to the sense of mutual support included family structure; satisfaction with support, security, and disaster prevention in the district; being able to ask for help with shopping; closeness of the relationship with one's neighbors; seeing oneself as providing or needing protection; and recognition of existing worries regarding evacuation. In a logistic regression model, the factors predicting the sense of mutual support included being younger than 70 years, being able to ask for help with shopping, and the closeness of the association with one's neighbors. Conclusions: The study identified situations that might predict the sense of mutual support in individuals in Japanese communities.