Peer Support for Women’s Health in the Kita-Iwate Region of Japan: A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Peer Supporters’ Experiences Using the Women’s Health Action Co-Creation Approach

Background: Breast and cervical cancer screening rates in Japan remain below international standards. Workplace peer support interventions may help promote women’s health behaviors, but few studies have explored the experiences of peer supporters in rural settings. Objective: To explore the roles, experiences, and challenges of female peer supporters who provided workplace peer support and were engaged in the Women’s Health Action Co-Creation Approach in the Kita-Iwate region of Japan. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven female peer supporters who promoted breast and cervical cancer screening among their colleagues, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: Four core categories, representing the participants’ experiences of peer support, emerged from content analysis: workplace and regional contexts that enabled female employees to provide peer support to their female colleagues, ripple effects on individuals and their surroundings, sharing cancer screening information with colleagues and choosing communication methods, and psychological and social barriers and coping strategies. Peer supporters engaged in health promotion activities, using leaflets, to meet the needs of different age groups and workplace settings. They encouraged colleagues to undergo cancer screening while reinforcing their own health awareness. Psychological and social barriers, including embarrassment and time constraints, were addressed through culturally sensitive and flexible strategies. Collaboration with midwives, who provided professional guidance, supported peer supporters in implementing these activities, reflecting a unique feature of Japanese midwifery practice. Conclusions: Peer support contributes to fostering a local health culture, reducing psychological barriers, and promoting cancer screening. Internationally, these findings suggest that integrating peer networks with professional guidance and tailoring interventions to cultural, psychosocial, and generational contexts can enhance community- and workplace-based women’s health promotion. Future initiatives should expand peer support, utilize digital technologies, and maintain peer supporter motivation to embed sustainable health promotion practices.