Training Community Residents to Address Social Determinants of Health in Underresourced Communities.
Autor: Wennerstrom, Ashley; Silver, Julia; Pollock, Miranda; Gustat, Jeanette
Publication year: 2020
Health promotion practice
issn:1524-8399
doi: 10.1177/1524839918820039
Abstract:
Disparities in chronic disease and life expectancy remain a significant public health problem and are largely attributable to social determinants of health. Community health workers (CHWs) promote health equity through individual- and community-level activities, and leadership and advocacy skills training make CHWs more likely to catalyze structural change. CHWs are increasingly being integrated into clinical practices to support care management, creating a need for new grassroots community-level advocates. We adapted for community residents an existing CHW training curriculum focused on social determinants of health and effecting community change. We offered 36 hours of training at community-based locations in New Orleans, Louisiana. We assessed baseline civic and community participation and pre- and postknowledge for each lesson. Among 43 enrollees, 42 completed the program. The majority were Black (92.7%), female (92.7%), and retired or unemployed (77.5%), with a median age of 61.5 years. In the past year, 85% of participants had volunteered, 57.1% had been involved with a community organization, and 32.4% had contacted the city council. Participants demonstrated statistically significant increases in knowledge in 5 of 6 lessons. Our success in increasing knowledge of advocacy among a civically engaged group suggests that trainees may become community leaders in addressing social determinants of health.
Language: eng
Rights:
Pmid: 30616364
Tags: Humans; Female; Middle Aged; Leadership; Black or African American; training; *Social Determinants of Health; leadership; *Community Health Workers; *Medically Underserved Area; advocacy; community health workers; Health Resources; New Orleans; social determinants of health
Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30616364/
