"If they don't ask about condoms, I just tell them": a descriptive case study of Latino lay health advisers' helping activities.

Abstract

Health care practitioners have increasingly turned to lay health advisers (LHAs) to deliver health promotion and disease prevention supportive activities to underserved populations. Yet, published evaluations of the LHA programs or the manner in which LHAs deliver information are rare. An important aspect of program evaluation includes understanding the role of the LHA in the community as described by the LHAs in the field. The purpose of this article is to report the results of a component of a larger evaluation of an LHA program for preventing HIV/AIDS among recently immigrated Mexicans in North Carolina. Specifically, the authors use a descriptive case study design to report on the perceptions of the LHAs related to program objectives. The findings suggest that the LHAs are meeting the program objectives and are confident in their role as LHAs.