Knowledge Of Community Health Workers Research Articles

Comprehensive Efforts to Accelerate Non-Communicable Disease Services in the Era of COVID-19 in Indonesia’s Suburban Area

The COVID-19 crisis has disrupted non-communicable disease (NCD) services in primary health care, and NCD is one of the comorbidities that increase mortality in COVID-19 patients. Efforts to accelerate NCD services were carried out with the focus on two programs: the development of integrated polyclinic NCD services and the training of community health workers (CHW) at the Tanara Community Health Center (CHC) in Banten. The development of a continuous team-based service system from the Pos Pembinaan Terpadu (Posbindu)/integrated service post to NCD services at the CHC was carried out for six months to improve the quality of human resources and help provide recommendations in the implementation of NCD services. At the end of the program, there was a 26.1% increase in the number of hypertension patients receiving treatment compared with the previous year, and there was a significant increase in the level of knowledge of CHWs after training and long-term mentoring (p < 0.001). Efforts to accelerate NCD services require support from all parties, and to ensure the continuity of these efforts, periodic monitoring and evaluation are necessary.

Does social capital influence community health worker knowledge, attitude and practices towards COVID-19? Findings from a cross-sectional study in Malang district, Indonesia

Community health workers (CHWs) are the first point of contact with the primary health care system in many low- and middle-income countries and are situated to play a critical role in the public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The knowledge, attitude and practices of CHWs regarding COVID-19 may be influenced by their level of trust and participation in the community, collectively defined as their level of social capital. To assess whether social capital influences CHWs’ knowledge, attitude and practices related to COVID-19, we conducted a web-based survey of CHWs (n = 478) in Malang district, Indonesia between October 2020 and January 2021. CHW social capital was measured using the Shortened Adapted Social Capital Assessment Tool. Multiple logistic regression results show that cognitive social capital was associated with higher self-reported knowledge of COVID-19, more confidence in answering COVID-related questions from the community and feeling safe from COVID-19 when working. Membership of community organisations was associated with a higher number of COVID-related tasks conducted. Thus, CHWs in Malang district with higher levels of cognitive social capital were more likely to be confident in their knowledge and ability to respond to COVID-19, and CHWs embedded in their community were more likely to be engaged in pandemic response duties. Our findings suggest that policies aimed at promoting CHW embeddedness, targeted recruitment and addressing training needs hold promise in strengthening the positive contribution of the community health workforce to the COVID-19 response.

THE ROLES OF CADRE AS A SUPPORT GROUP FOR PEOPLE WHO LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS

The people living with HIV (PLWH) are vulnerable population with several health problems and stigma from the community. People living with HIV need social support from the people around them, include community health worker as support groups. The purpose of this activity was to increase the knowledge and attitude of cadre as support group in providing support to PLWH. This program consists of health education and training as support group for PLWH. The target of the activity was 20 community health workers in Turen district, Malang Regency. The activity was held on October 16, 2021. Participants were given a knowledge and attitude questionnaire before and after the activity. The results of the paired t test about community health worker knowledge obtained a value of 0.000 (&lt;p value 0.05) so it means there was a significant difference between the average level of pre-test and post-test cadre knowledge. The results of the paired t test about community health worker attitudes obtained a value of 0.000 (&lt;p value 0.05) so it menas that there is a significant difference between the average of pre-test and post-test community health worker attitudes. It can be concluded that support group training can improve the knowledge and attitudes of community health worker as support group for PLWH.

Effect of training of frontline health workers on tuberculosis: a cluster randomized control trial in South Nigeria

Background:Intensified efforts to improve tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, treatment, and prevention are needed to meet global EndTB targets. Community health workers’ (CHWs) knowledge with respect to case finding is vital in tuberculosis elimination. This study aimed to determine the effect of tuberculosis training on the knowledge of community health workers in Nigeria.Methods:As part of a larger multicomponent intervention study, a randomised control trial was conducted with CHWs in 18 primary health care (PHC) clusters in Nigeria. The clusters were allocated to three arms: training and cash incentive (A), training only (B), and control (C) arms. Arms (A) and (B) received training on tuberculosis symptoms, prevention, diagnosis and treatment while the control arm (C) did not receive training. Participants’ knowledge on tuberculosis was assessed using questionnaires administered pre- and post-intervention. Data was analyzed using GraphPad Prism. Descriptive data was presented in tables and bivariate data was analyzed using chi square. Statistical significance was set as P&lt;0.05.Results:There was a significant increase in the total knowledge score (25.4%), knowledge of general symptoms (24.4%), prevention (22.6%) and diagnosis and treatment (30.0%) across all study arms post-intervention (p&lt;0.0001). Compared with the control arm, the training arm (A) had a higher proportion of good total knowledge score (94.4%) and arm (B) had a lower proportion of good total knowledge score (83.1%) when compared to the control group (93.1%). These were, however, not statistically significant.Conclusions:An improvement in the CHWs’ knowledge of symptoms, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis was observed after a training intervention was done. Integration of routine tuberculosis training is recommended to improve tuberculosis case finding in high burden communities.Pan African Clinical Trial Registry registration:PACTR202010691865364 (14/01/2020)

Effect of Structured Teaching Programme on VIA Test for Early Detection and Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer

The conceptual framework of the study, undertaken in select health centres of New Delhi, was based on General System Model. The research approach was evaluative with one group pre-test and post-test design. The study population comprised of Community Health Workers working in selected centres in Najafgarh, Delhi. Purposive sampling technique was used to select a sample of 30 Community Health Workers. A structured knowledge questionnaire was developed to assess the knowledge of subjects. A Structured Teaching Programme was developed to enhance the knowledge of Community Health Workers. Pre-test was given on day 1 and Structured Teaching Programme administered on same day. Post-test was conducted on day 7. Most of the Community Health Workers were in the age group of 21-30 years with academic qualification up to Higher Secondary level. Maximum Community Health Workers had professional qualification as ANM/MPHW (female). Majority of the Community Health Workers had experience up to 5 years. Initially there was deficit in scores of knowledge of Community Health Workers regarding Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) test. Mean post-test knowledge scores of Community Health Workers were found to be signifi- cantly higher than their mean pre-test knowledge score. The Community Health Workers after expo- sure to Structured Teaching Programme gained a significant positive relationship between post-test knowledge scores. The study reveals the efficacy of Structured Teaching Programme in enhancing the knowledge of Community Health Workers regarding VIA test and a need for conducting a regular and well planned health teaching programme on VIA test for improving their knowledge on VIA test for the early detection and diagnosis of cervical cancer.

Skills2Care: An innovative, cooperative learning programme for community health workers in South Africa.

BackgroundCommunity health workers (CHWs) hold potential to support universal health coverage and better health for vulnerable communities. They are integral to the re-engineered Primary Health Care (PHC) strategy, introduced in South Africa in 2011. This study focussed on how to train CHWs in large numbers, especially in resource-limited, rural settings. Skills2Care, a method of cooperative learning for CHWS, has been pioneered in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.AimTo determine whether Skills2Care could improve the cognitive knowledge of CHWs; to understand their response and attitude to the programme; to explore factors that enabled and inhibited learning and to consider its viability as a training method.SettingResearch was conducted in 2019 in the Ngqeleni subdistrict of the O.R. Tambo district, in rural Eastern Cape.MethodsA group-learning model using specifically tailored study modules in booklet format, addressing mother and baby care, was used. A facilitator promoted learning. Knowledge assessment was conducted by pre- and post-study testing using multiple choice questions. Focus group discussions and interviews explored the appropriateness and acceptability of this method, and factors enabling and inhibiting the learning.ResultsThis method of peer group cooperative learning can significantly increase the cognitive knowledge of CHWs. Test scores indicated a significant (13%) improvement. Focus group discussions indicated that participants valued this method as it increased knowledge and boosted their confidence.ConclusionThis innovative approach to district-based, continuing education suggests that CHWs could be trained in large numbers without the need for additional resources.

Community Health Worker Evaluation of Implementing an mHealth Application to Support Maternal Health Care in Rural India.

Introduction: PIERS on the Move (POM) is a mobile health (mHealth) application developed for a smartphone to support community health workers (CHWs) for identification and management of women at risk of adverse outcomes from pre-eclampsia. POM was implemented as an addition to routine antenatal care by accredited social health activists (ASHAs) and auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) during the community level intervention for pre-eclampsia (CLIP) Trial in Karnataka state, India (NCT01911494). The objective of this study was to evaluate the experiences of CHWs of using POM in rural India and their perceptions of acceptability and feasibility of this mHealth intervention.Methods: A posttrial mixed-methods evaluation was designed to measure CHW knowledge and self-efficacy regarding the care of women with pre-eclampsia and perceptions of CHWs on the ease of use and usefulness of POM. A structured survey with open-ended questions was conducted between October and November 2017. The median values on a 5-point Likert scale for knowledge and self-efficacy questions were compared between trial arms by Mann–Whitney U test (p < 0.05 significant). Qualitative analysis was undertaken on NVivo 12 (QSR International, Melbourne, Australia).Results: A total of 48 ASHAs and ANMs were interviewed, including 24 who used POM (intervention arm) and 24 who did not (control arm). Self-reported knowledge and self-efficacy for the care of women with pre-eclampsia did not differ between groups. The qualitative analysis highlighted that health workers who used POM reported improved interactions with women and families in their communities. POM strengthened the role of ASHA as a CHW beyond a “link-worker” accompanying women to health services. With training, the mHealth application was easy to use even for CHWs who did not have much experience with smartphones.Conclusions: Community health workers found the POM app easy to use, useful, and well-received by women and their families. POM did not improve care through increased knowledge but built capacity by increasing the recognition of the ASHA and ANM as critical members of the continuum of antenatal healthcare within their communities. These findings support the important role that mHealth technologies can play in strengthening health systems to reach rural, remote, and marginalized populations to reduce disparities in health.

Effect of tuberculosis training on community health workers’ knowledge: a cluster randomized control trial in South Nigeria

Background:Intensified efforts to improve tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis, treatment, and prevention are needed to meet global EndTB targets. Community health workers’ (CHWs) knowledge with respect to case finding is vital in tuberculosis elimination. This study aimed to determine the effect of tuberculosis training on the knowledge of community health workers in Nigeria.Methods:As part of a larger multicomponent intervention study, a randomised control trial was conducted with CHWs in 18 primary health care (PHC) clusters in Nigeria. The clusters were allocated to three arms: training and cash incentive (A), training only (B), and control (C) arms. Arms (A) and (B) received training on tuberculosis symptoms, prevention, diagnosis and treatment while the control arm (C) did not receive training. Participants’ knowledge on tuberculosis was assessed using questionnaires administered pre- and post-intervention. Data was analyzed using GraphPad Prism. Descriptive data was presented in tables and bivariate data was analyzed using chi square. Statistical significance was set as P&lt;0.05.Results:There was a significant increase in the total knowledge score (25.4%), knowledge of general symptoms (24.4%), prevention (22.6%) and diagnosis and treatment (30.0%) across all study arms post-intervention (p&lt;0.0001). Compared with the control arm, the training arm (A) had a higher proportion of good total knowledge score (94.4%) and arm (B) had a lower proportion of good total knowledge score (83.1%) when compared to the control group (93.1%). These were, however, not statistically significant.Conclusions:An improvement in the CHWs’ knowledge of symptoms, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis was observed after a training intervention was done. Integration of routine tuberculosis training is recommended to improve tuberculosis case finding in high burden communities.Pan African Clinical Trial Registry registration:PACTR202010691865364 (14/01/2020)

Does supportive supervision intervention improve community health worker knowledge and practices for community management of childhood diarrhea and pneumonia? Lessons for scale-up from Nigraan and Nigraan Plus trials in Pakistan

BackgroundLack of programmatic support and supervision is one of the underlying reasons of the poor performance of Pakistan’s Lady Health Worker Program (LHWP). This study describes the findings and potential for scale-up of a supportive supervision intervention in two districts of Pakistan for improving LHWs skills for integrated community case management (iCCM) of childhood diarrhea and pneumonia.MethodsThe intervention comprised an enhanced supervision training to lady health supervisors (LHSs) and written feedback to LHWs by LHSs, implemented in Districts Badin and Mirpur Khas (MPK). Clinical skills of LHWs and LHSs and supervision skills of LHSs were assessed before, during, and after the intervention using structured tools.ResultsLHSs’ practice of providing written feedback improved between pre- and mid-intervention assessments in both trials (0% to 88% in Badin and 25% to 75% in MPK) in the study arm. Similarly, supervisory performance of study arm LHSs was better than that in the comparison arm in reviewing the treatment suggested by workers’ (94% vs 13% in MPK and 94% vs 69% in Badin) during endline skills assessment in both trials. There were improvements in LHWs’ skills for iCCM of childhood diarrhea and pneumonia in both districts. In intervention arm, LHWs’ performance for correctly assessing for dehydration (28% to 92% in Badin and 74% to 96% in MPK), and measuring the respiratory rate correctly (12% to 44% in Badin and 46% to 79% in MPK) improved between baseline and endline assessments in both trials. Furthermore, study arm LHWs performed better than those in comparison arm in classifying diarrhea correctly during post-intervention skills assessment (68% vs 40% in Badin and 96% vs 83% in MPK).ConclusionSupportive supervision including written feedback and frequent supervisor contact could improve the performance of community-based workers in managing diarrhea and pneumonia among children. Positive lessons for provincial scale-up can be drawn.Trial registration Both trials are registered with the ‘Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry’. Registration numbers: Nigraan Trial: ACTRN1261300126170; Nigraan Plus: ACTRN12617000309381.

Mentored implementation to initiate a diabetes program in an underserved community: a pilot study

IntroductionCommunity clinics often face pragmatic barriers, hindering program initiation and replication of controlled research trial results. Mentoring is a potential strategy to overcome these barriers. We piloted an in-person and...

Community Health Worker Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an important public health concern with higher prevalence among women. Community health workers (CHWs) are trusted frontline public health workers that bridge gaps between communities and healthcare services. Despite their effectiveness in delivering services and improving outcomes for different chronic conditions, there is a dearth of understanding regarding CHW management of IPV. The purpose of this study is to examine knowledge, attitudes, practices, and readiness to manage IPV among a sample of CHWs (n = 152). Participants completed an online version of the Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Survey (PREMIS), which was modified for CHW practice. Psychometrics of the newly adapted tool, along with empirical relationships between knowledge, attitudes, and readiness to manage IPV were examined. Most sub-scales yielded moderate to high reliability (0.70 < α’s < 0.97), some sub-scales had low reliability (0.57 < α’s < 0.64), and construct validity was established for several of the subscales. On average, many CHWs had low scores on objective knowledge of IPV (mean = 15.4 out of 26), perceived preparation to manage IPV (mean = 3.8 out of 7), and perceived knowledge of IPV (mean = 3.7 out of 7). About 56% of CHWs indicated having no previous IPV training, 34% did not screen for IPV, and 65% were in the contemplation stage of behavior change. Multiple regression models indicated that knowledge, staff capabilities and staff preparation were significant predictors of perceived preparedness to manage IPV (all p’s < 0.05). Results can inform future credentialing requirements and training programs for CHWs to better assist their clients who are victims of IPV.

Integrated approach for survival and development during first 1000 day of life

Introduction: With increased evidence of the association between early child-rearing practices and children's health, growth, and development, the government of India has introduced several policies and strategies, of which the home-based care for young child (HBYC) is the most recent. An assessment was conducted in three aspirational districts in Jharkhand to see system preparedness for implementation of the program. Material &amp; Methods: Eight district key health personnel from 3 districts were interviewed on health systems readiness components. A total of 100 Sahiyas (Accredited Social Health Activists) and 100 mothers were selected across 8 villages in 2 blocks in each of the 3 districts of Lohardaga, Simdega, and West Singhbhum, and interviewed with a structured questionnaire on knowledge and practices. In addition, 24 auxiliary nurse midwifes, Sahiya Sathis, and Anganwadi workers were interviewed. Data collection teams underwent an orientation. Results: Most nodal persons were recruited; however, orientation to HBYC and awareness of key components such as incentives, supervision mechanism, and monitoring indicators was lacking. Supply of prophylactics and equipment was inadequate. Knowledge of community health workers was inadequate for many child care indicators except Oral Rehydration Salt (ORS) preparation (96%) and initiation of complementary feeding (97%). Knowledge of danger signs requiring referrals was particularly low (30%). Mothers' knowledge and practices were low on all the indicators. Conclusion: The HBYC program can build its success on the present health system functioning by tailoring trainings to focus on gaps in knowledge, addressing specific gaps in supplies, improving supervision, and integration efforts

Elaboration and psychometric analysis of a questionnaire to evaluate the knowledge of community health workers about breastfeeding

Abstract Objectives: to develop and analyze the psychometric properties of a questionnaire to assess community health workers’ knowledge on breastfeeding. Methods: this is a methodological study for the development of an instrument and analysis of validity and reliability. For the elaboration of items and identification of dimensions, a literature review was conducted. The items were submitted to the evaluation of a committee of judges, for apparent and content analysis. Construct validation was conducted through hypothesis test, with the participation of 282 community health workers and 19 pediatricians and obstetric nurses. For analysis and comparison of scores, the Mann-Whitney U test was used, assuming a significance level of 5%. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and temporal consistency of the instrument was assessed using test-retest and Kappa analysis. Results: the final instrument presented a favorable opinion from the committee of judges. The hypothesis test showed that the questionnaire has discriminatory power to assess professionals with a higher level of knowledge (p&lt;0.001). The Kappa test revealed that 63% of the items showed substantive to almost perfect agreement. The 32-item questionnaire showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.794. Conclusion: the instrument developed was valid and reliable, allowing effective measurement of community health workers’ knowledge on breastfeeding.

Evaluating a capacity building program on women\u2019s health for displaced community health workers in fragile settings in Lebanon

BackgroundDisplaced populations in fragile settings experience health disparities that are seldom attended to. Task-shifting, which involves training non-specialized community health workers (CHW) to deliver basic education and health services is a favorable strategy to address this problem, however very little data exist on this topic in the Middle East region. We conducted a long-term evaluation of the Women’s Health Certificate delivered to Syrian refugees and host community in informal tented settlements in Lebanon under the Mobile University for Health (MUH) program. The training was delivered through a mobile classroom approach that incorporated a blended learning modality.MethodsWe collected short-term data from the 42 trained CHW (knowledge assessments and satisfaction measures) during the delivery of the intervention between March and August 2019, and long-term data (semi-structured interviews with 8 CHW and focus group discussion with 9 randomly selected community members) one year later between July and August 2020. The evaluation approach was informed by the Kirkpatrick evaluation model, and the qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.ResultsData from the CHWs and community members were triangulated, and they showed that the training enhanced access to education due to its mobile nature and provided opportunities for CHWs to engage and interact with learning material that enhanced their knowledge and favorable behaviors regarding women’s health. In turn, CHWs were empowered to play an active role in their communities to transfer the knowledge they gained through educating community members and providing women’s health services and referrals. Community members benefited from the CHWs and called for the implementation of more similar training programs.ConclusionThis is one of few studies reporting a long-term community-level evaluation of a task-shifting program on women’s health among displaced populations in Lebanon. Our findings support the need to increase funding for similar programs, and to focus on delivering programs for a variety of health challenges. It is also essential to enhance the reach and length of recruitment to wider communities, to design concise, interactive, and engaging sessions, and to provide tools to facilitate circulation of learning material, and resources for referrals to health services.

Measuring Knowledge of Community Health Workers at the Last Mile in Liberia: Feasibility and Results of Clinical Vignette Assessments.

Community health workers (CHWs) can provide lifesaving treatment for children in remote areas, but high-quality care is essential for effective delivery. Measuring the quality of community-based care in remote areas is logistically challenging. Clinical vignettes have been validated in facility settings as a proxy for competency. We assessed feasibility and effectiveness of clinical vignettes to measure CHW knowledge of integrated community case management (iCCM) in Liberia's national CHW program. We developed 3 vignettes to measure knowledge of iCCM illnesses (malaria, diarrhea, and pneumonia) in 4 main areas: assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and caregiver instructions. Trained nurse supervisors administered the vignettes to CHWs in 3 counties in rural Liberia as part of routine program supervision between January and May 2019, collected data on CHW knowledge using a standardized checklist tool, and provided feedback and coaching to CHWs in real time after vignette administration. Proportions of vignettes correctly managed, including illness classification, treatment, and referral where necessary, were calculated. We assessed feasibility, defined as the ability of clinical supervisors to administer the vignettes integrated into their routine activities once per year for each CHW, and effectiveness, defined as the ability of the vignettes to measure the primary outcomes of CHW knowledge of diagnosis and treatment including referrals. We were able to integrate this assessment into routine supervision, facilitate real-time coaching, and collect data on iCCM knowledge among 155 CHWs through delivery of 465 vignettes. Diagnosis including severity was correct in 65%-82% of vignettes. CHWs correctly identified danger signs in 44%-50% of vignettes, correctly proposed referral to the facility in 63% of vignettes including danger signs, and chose correct lifesaving treatment in 23%-65% of vignettes. Both diagnosis and lifesaving treatment rates were highest for malaria and lowest for severe pneumonia. Administration of vignettes to assess knowledge of correct iCCM case management was feasible and effective in producing results in this setting. Proportions of correct diagnosis and lifesaving treatment varied, with high proportions for uncomplicated disease, but lower for more severe cases, with accurate recognition of danger signs posing a challenge. Future work includes validation of vignettes for use with CHWs through direct observation, strengthening supportive supervision, and program interventions to address identified knowledge gaps.

Community health worker knowledge, attitudes and practices towards COVID-19: Learnings from an online cross-sectional survey using a digital health platform, UpSCALE, in Mozambique.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the frontline of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic response, yet there is a paucity of literature on their knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) in relation to the pandemic. Community Health Workers (CHWs) in Mozambique are known locally as agentes polivalentes elementares (APEs). While technical guidance surrounding COVID-19 is available to support APEs, communicating this information has been challenging due to restrictions on travel, face-to-face group meetings and training, imposed from May to August 2020. A digital health platform, upSCALE, that already supports 1,213 APEs and 299 supervisors across three provinces, is being used to support APEs on effective COVID-19 management by delivering COVID-19 sensitive SMS messages, training modules and a COVID-19 KAP survey. The KAP survey, conducted from June 2020 to August 2020, consisted of 10 questions. Of 1,065 active upSCALE APEs, 28% completed the survey. Results indicate that only a small proportion of APEs listed the correct COVID-19 symptoms, transmission routes and appropriate prevention measures (n = (25%), n = (16%) and n = (39%), respectively) specifically included in national health education materials. Misconceptions were mainly related to transmission routes, high risk individuals and asymptomatic patients. 84% said they followed all government prevention guidelines. The results from the KAP survey were used to support the rapid development and deployment of targeted COVID-19 awareness and education materials for the APEs. A follow-up KAP survey is planned for November 2020. Adapting the existing upSCALE platform enabled a better understanding, in real time, of the KAP of APEs around COVID-19 management. Subsequently, supporting delivery of tailored messages and education, vital for ensuring a successful COVID-19 response.

Knowledge of Non-communicable Disease Risk Factors among Community Health Workers in South Africa

Introduction: Community Health Workers play an important role in supporting patients with chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), therefore they need to be constantly updated with current knowledge to enable them to perform their activities effectively. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of NCDs risk factors among Community Health Workers (CHWs) in South Africa. Methodology: A triple “A” approach (assessment, analysis, and action) was used among 40 CHWs working with patients with chronic non-communicable diseases. All CHWs gave voluntary, informed consent in writing and verbally before they were allowed to participate in the study. For the initial assessment, CHWs completed a questionnaire to assess knowledge about the knowledge of NCDs. The questionnaire was analysed to determine their baseline performance. The findings of the assessment identified shortcomings in the knowledge of CHWs, specifically on diabetes and hypertension knowledge. Feedback was given to the CHWs followed by a short training on healthy living, focusing on the risk factors associated with NCDs (diabetes and hypertension). Training of CHWs was conducted using an adapted national training programme together with CHW prevention of healthy lifestyle modules designed by experts from the School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape. All statistical tests were two-tailed, and p&lt;.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The majority (97.5%) of the CHWs who had their knowledge assessed were women. Fifty-five percent (55%) were within age 30-45 years, while 45% were between the ages 46-60 years. The majority of the participants had secondary school education (92.5%) and 1-15 years of experience (97.5%) as CHWs. The results of the post-training assessment revealed that 48.5%, 63.6%, 42.4%, 72.7%, 42.5%, 57.6%, and 18.2% had poor knowledge of diabetes, hypertension, diabetes complications, hypertension complications, advice for diabetic patient, advice for hypertension, and nutrition advice of NCDs, respectively. Regression analysis showed that those with higher education levels were significantly highly likely to be knowledgeable about hypertension complications (OR=19.6, CI=1.14, 336.0). Conclusion: There was poor knowledge of risk factors for NCDs among CHWs. An association exists between the knowledge of risk factors for NCDs and education levels among the participants. There is a need for regular refresher training programs for CHWs to upscale their knowledge about NCDs, coupled with frequent review of CHWs program and curriculum.

Evaluating the Impact of Telehealth-Based, Diabetes Medication Training for Community Health Workers on Glycemic Control.

Background: Diabetes is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality. Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been instrumental in improving patient outcomes. However, CHW training largely focuses on general diabetes concepts rather than medications. Providing accessible, diabetes medication training for CHWs has the potential to increase patient understanding, personalized care, and adherence, thereby improving outcomes. Objective: To evaluate the impact of a telehealth-based diabetes medication training for CHWs on patient outcomes as measured by HbA1c changes. Methods: We provided a 12-month weekly, telehealth (videoconference) medication training for CHWs who led 6-month diabetes programs for low-income Latino(a)s in community clinics. We measured participant HbA1c (primary outcome), blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI) changes. We evaluated CHW knowledge via two pre/post-tests: medication adverse events/side effects (TEST-1, months 1–6) and dosing, titration, and emergencies (TEST-2, months 7–12). We assessed CHW training application by their ability to identify patient, provider, and healthcare system medication barriers. Results: Participants’ (n = 55) HbA1c improved (9.0% (75 mmol/mol) to 7.8% (62 mmol/mol) (p = 0.001)). Blood pressure and BMI changes were not significant. CHWs improved their knowledge: TEST-1: 10.5-18.2/20.0 (p = 0.002), TEST-2: 10.3–17.3/19.0 (p = 0.0019). CHWs identified 984 patients (n = 610), providers (n = 151), and healthcare systems (n = 223) medication barriers during the 12-month training. Conclusions: Providing a telehealth-based, diabetes medication training program for CHWs allowed a personalized approach to identify barriers to care at several levels, which was associated with significant participant HbA1c reductions and improved CHW knowledge. This is a promising cost-effective, culturally sensitive strategy to improve diabetes care. Larger longitudinal evaluations are needed to fully understand the impact of CHW medication training.

Tingkat Pengetahuan Kader tentang Posyandu di Puskesmas Temindung Kota Samarinda

Community health workers are selected by the community from community members who are willing to voluntarily be able to help and have time to organize basic health service activities. The purpose of this study was to determine the level of knowledge community health workers in basic health service the health centers in Temindung, Samarinda. The research subjects of community health workers were 32 people who were on duty in basic health service activities in 10 basic health service centers in Temindung Samarinda. Measuring the level of knowledge of community health workers using a questionnaire. Percentage analysis to determine the level of knowledge about basic health service. Most community health workers are chosen directly with the essential requirements of being able to read, write and be friendly and voluntarily help and be in their community. Although their knowledge of basic health services is still low with 87.5% of basic health service. Knowledge of community health workers is still low Even though their knowledge is lacking, they still do health services at basic health services once a month. Basic health services are an important part of health services in the community, especially helping health workers in public health services to the community, but so they are expected to get training in basic health services to improve the Indonesian health republic's work program

CÂNCER BUCAL E PAPILOMAVÍRUS HUMANO NA PERSPECTIVA DE AGENTES COMUNITÁRIOS DE SAÚDE

O câncer é uma doença crônica degenerativa que acomete milhares de pessoas em diferentes idades. Entretanto, o número de casos entre jovens que não fumam nem bebem em excesso, mas praticam sexo oral sem proteção, tem crescido vertiginosamente. Isso porque o Papilomavírus Humano (HPV) está diretamente associado a cada vez mais casos de câncer. Nesse contexto, profissionais de saúde devem estar atentos à população para rastrear e tratar os enfermos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi descrever o conhecimento dos Agentes Comunitários de Saúde (ACS) de uma região do município de Camaçari, na Bahia, sobre câncer oral e sua relação com o HPV. Trata-se de um estudo descritivo, transversal, no qual aplicou-se um questionário previamente testado. Para a análise dos dados, foram empregados os recursos da estatística descritiva (frequência relativa e absoluta). Observou-se que 95,1% dos participantes do estudo já ouviram falar sobre câncer bucal e 85,4% já receberam informações sobre o HPV, entretanto apenas 48,8% relataram saber a associação do câncer bucal com o HPV. Apesar de 97,6% dos ACS acharem que o fumo cause câncer oral, essa porcentagem caiu ao se referir ao álcool (58,5%) e ao sexo desprotegido (63,4%), ambos como fatores etiológicos. Conclui-se que medidas de educação permanente devem ser bem executadas, a fim de possibilitar um melhor entendimento dos profissionais e o desenvolvimento de ações mais efetivas de promoção da saúde e prevenção de doenças.