Despite the importance of community health workers (CHWs) in strategies to reduce health disparities and the call to enhance their roles in research, little information exists on how to prepare CHWs involved in community-academic initiatives (CAIs). Therefore, the New York University Prevention Research Center piloted a CAI-CHW training program. Results demonstrated that a … [Read more...] about Lessons learned from a community-academic initiative: the development of a core competency-based training for community-academic initiative community health workers.
Community Health Workers/Volunteers
Recognizing the diverse roles of community health workers in the elimination of health disparities: from paid staff to volunteers.
The community health worker (CHW) model has been successfully used to promote health and reduce adverse health outcomes in underserved communities. Although there is a general consensus that involvement of natural helpers from the targeted communities is a promising approach in the elimination of health disparities, there is less agreement on their responsibilities, scope of … [Read more...] about Recognizing the diverse roles of community health workers in the elimination of health disparities: from paid staff to volunteers.
Applying the community health worker model to diabetes management: using mixed methods to assess implementation and effectiveness.
The community health worker (CHW) model is a popular method for reaching vulnerable populations with diabetes. This study assessed implementation and effectiveness of the model within diabetes programs. Five CHW roles were identified: educator, case manager, role model, program facilitator, and advocate. Roles, responsibilities and training varied greatly across programs. … [Read more...] about Applying the community health worker model to diabetes management: using mixed methods to assess implementation and effectiveness.
Improving Asthma Management among African-American Children via a Community Health Worker Model: Findings from a Chicago-Based Pilot Intervention
Asthma affects 25-30% of children living in certain disadvantaged Chicago neighborhoods, a rate twice the national prevalence (13%). Children living in poor, minority communities tend to rely heavily on the emergency department (ED) for asthma care and are unlikely to be properly medicated or educated on asthma self-management. A pilot project implemented and evaluated a … [Read more...] about Improving Asthma Management among African-American Children via a Community Health Worker Model: Findings from a Chicago-Based Pilot Intervention
A Community Capacity-Enhancement Approach to Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening among Older Women of Color
In the Screening Older Minority Women project, the authors applied a community capacity-enhancement approach to promoting breast and cervical cancer screening among older women of color. Members of informal support networks were recruited for this health promotion intervention to empower Latina and African American women to engage in positive health … [Read more...] about A Community Capacity-Enhancement Approach to Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening among Older Women of Color
