265292 Southern California Promotores (Community Health workers) Needs Assessment, San Diego and Imperial Counties, 2010-2011

Monday, October 29, 2012

Abel Martinez , CA Department of Public Health, California Office of Binational Border Health, San Diego, CA
Public health programs have utilized promotores (community health workers) for many years in health promotion and disease prevention efforts. Community health workers have proven to effectively reach and educate communities, resulting in health behavior change.

The goal of this study was to understand and determine existing barriers and challenges employers may perceive and/or experience when utilizing promotores or community health workers. The study was done by administering questionnaires to promotores and conducting key informant interviews with agency program administrators.

In total, 174 surveys were collected (76 paper and 98 online). The majority (88%) of respondents were female and born in Mexico. Individuals were asked to choose from a list of employee support services that they would like to receive. Leadership training (61%) was the most frequently chosen service, followed by opportunities to continue education (49%), mental health service (38%), and medical insurance (37%).

Nine-teen agency representatives were interviewed. Agencies employed between 2-520 employees, with a range of 1 to 41 community health workers/promotores and serve populations from 20 – 15,000 people each month. The majority of respondents indicated that promotores need to be trained in a variety of core competencies, in addition to being knowledgeable about the specific health issues that are addressed by their programs. The major challenges faced include reliability of promotores due to lack of funds for salaries, transportation, childcare, and incentives. Though promotores work for the good will of their communities, individual barriers and priorities are a reality.

Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Provision of health care to the public
Public health or related education

Learning Objectives:
1) Describe 3 components of a successful promotore training. 2) Describe common challenges that affect promotora programs.

Keywords: Community Health Promoters, Needs Assessment

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am qualified to be an abstract Author on the content I am responsible for because I was a co-author on the final assessment. I have had 5 years of experience working in border health, starting in the El Paso Texas/Chihuahua Mexico border to the California/Baja California border. My particular interests involve public health preparedness, and integrating those concepts along the US/Mexico border.
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.

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