256440 Sustaining community health programs delivered by promotores de salud: Program planners' perspectives and experiences

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 2:30 PM - 2:50 PM

Alexis Koskan, PhD , Health Outcomes & Behavior, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Tampa, FL
Daniela B. Friedman, Msc, PhD , Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
DeAnne K. Hilfinger Messias, PhD RN, FAAN , College of Nursing and Women's and Gender Studies Program, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Heather M. Brandt, PhD, CHES , Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Katrina M. Walsemann, PhD , Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC
     
BACKGROUND: Health programs delivered by promotores de salud aim to empower and enhance the health of community members through health education and outreach. Little is known about program planners' approaches to sustainability other than through ongoing funding.

OBJECTIVE: To examine how program planners' envision and plan for sustaining promotor-delivered health programs among U.S. Hispanics.

METHODS: Researchers conducted 24 in-depth, open-ended telephone interviews with program planners from 22 programs to elicit responses regarding the feasibility, challenges, and successes of promotor-delivered program sustainability. The qualitative analysis proceeded with open, focused, and thematic coding using Atlas.TI software as a data management tool.

RESULTS: Program planners had a wide range of expectations regarding how, whom, and what components to sustain once original grant funding ended. Sustainability expectations varied based on type and length of the program, organization in charge of the program, and funding sources. Although funding was the most frequently reported challenge to program sustainability, proposed solutions included the need to alter the public health infrastructure to incorporate a more sustainable method of funding promotores, mechanisms for certifying promotores, and the need for creating environments conducive to institutionalizing promotor-led programs.

CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest the need for program planners to collaborate with community partners in developing sustainability plans as part of the initial planning process. Future research is needed to examine the perspectives and experiences of community partners and promotores' on sustaining these community health interventions.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Advocacy for health and health education
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
The participant/learner in this session will be able to: • Describe different conceptualizations of how program planners envision the sustainability of promotor- led health programs in Hispanic communities. • List potential barriers and resources to sustaining promotor-led programs • Identify key aspects of sustainability community health programmers should consider in developing promotor-delivered programs in Hispanic communities.

Keywords: Community Health Programs, Sustainability

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: This information was derived from my dissertation, and I wrote this abstract.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3327.0: Sustaining CHW Programs: Successes and Challenges