A Multi-Site Examination of Strategies Used by Community Health Workers to Address Stressors Experienced by Families with Asthma in Low-income Communities of Color

Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been instrumental in assisting families with asthma in coping with societal and personal stressors that precipitate asthma exacerbation. This presentation will share results of a study that seeks to better understand the stressors experienced by families with asthma living in low-income communities of color; strategies CHWs use to assist families in alleviating these stressors; and how CHWs engage families in repeat home visits. Our sample includes CHWs from multiple geographical regions in the U.S who were (or are currently) involved in household asthma interventions. Through qualitative in-depth interviews, we will identify common stressors experienced by families with asthma—both asthma-related (e.g., pest infestation) and those beyond the disease itself (e.g., utilities shut-offs)—and the impact these stressors have had on health and quality of life, as perceived by CHWs. We will also identify strategies CHWs use to help families achieve “successful” outcomes, and narratives of how they keep clients engaged and build rapport and trust.

The results from the CHW interviews will be shared with participating community-based organizations, academic-community partnerships, and interviewees to validate the findings and synthesize their implications for practice. This presentation will be co-developed with CHWs.

The purpose of this presentation is to: 1) better understand the larger social and environmental stressors families with asthma face and how interventions utilizing CHWs might mitigate those stressors; 2) inform future CHW training to include strategies for helping families in low-income communities of color to alleviate stressors to improve health and quality of life.