[Volunteers' recognition of problems in meal distribution service and their expectation for information concerning health and welfare in less-favoured areas].

Objective: This study aimed to clarify problems perceived by volunteers of a meal distribution service (MDS) in Less-Favoured Areas and the content of information expected to be provided by the administration and social welfare council.

Methods: We chose three municipalities (A, B, and C) with a population of less than 4,000 and an elderly population rate of 25% or higher. Volunteers involved in MDS in the municipalities were 28, 11, and 22 people in A, B, and C, respectively. We interviewed each group after explaining our purpose in writing, and made word-for-word records. Survey items were as follows; what you try and aim to do, what is your burden and pleasure, what are your problems and the solutions, and what are your demands for future activity in the MDS. The study period was from March to November, 2003.

Results: The information that the volunteers expected the administration and social welfare council to provide encompassed 3 categories, each of which contained 2 subcategories. They expected (information to allow elderly people to use the service on their own initiative> and as [information to improve understanding of the users and residents about the aims and contents of the MDS], and as [information to ensure the quality and quantity of volunteers], and and as [information to improve the relationships between the volunteers and users].

Conclusions: The volunteers expected education to improve the understanding of the residents so that elderly people can use the MDS on their own initiative, recruiting of motivated volunteers to ensure continuation of the service, and support for the smooth execution of the service and a system for such support. These were perceived by the subjects as problems to be solved for effective implementation of the service, and are considered to represent the meaning and state of the MDS that the volunteers wanted to share with the administration, social welfare council, and residents. The information that should be shared among the administration, social welfare council, residents, and volunteers can be clarified by evaluation of the expectations of the volunteers which must be met to promote their cooperation to support the service.