[Literature review of the health of technical intern trainees in Japan: A study using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health].

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to clarify the health of technical intern trainees and factors that affect their health and examine the necessary support.

METHODS

Articles related to the health of technical intern trainees, published between January 2010 and September 2019, were extracted from databases (Ichushi-Web, CiNii Articles, and news archives) using the keywords "technical intern training" and "health." Additional articles were extracted by hand-searching related reports and magazines. The articles were sorted using the partial Bernard Berelson method of content analysis and classified into the components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF).

RESULTS

There were 24 categories, 71 subcategories, and 422 recording units extracted from 127 documents. Using the ICF classification, the 【Environmental factors】 component had the largest number of recording units, with the "support from supervising and implementing organizations" (n = 108) and "inadequate enforcement of labor-related laws" (n = 48) categories. This was followed by the 【Health condition】 component, with the "death of technical intern trainees" (n = 27) and "increase of tuberculosis cases" (n = 24) categories.

CONCLUSIONS

It is assumed that while some technical intern trainees are in a high-risk situation because of the difficulty of receiving medical care and severe working conditions that may worsen their health, including the development of brain and heart disease and tuberculosis, some receive positive effects such as early detection and treatment of diseases through health checks. In addition to improving the working environment, it is important to translate the results of health checks into trainees' understandable languages, provide supplementary explanations of the results, and support the promotion of multicultural coexistence.