Incorporating what Promotoras Learn: Becoming Role Models to Effect Positive Change

• Published in: Journal of community health Vol. 37; no. 5; pp. 1026 - 1031
• Main Authors: Lucio, Rose L., Zuniga, Genny Carrillo, Seol, Yoon-Ho, Garza, Norma, Mier, Nelda, Trevino, Laura
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01-10-2012; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Architectural Education; Asthma; Asthma - prevention & control; Capacity Building; Community and Environmental Psychology; Community development; Community health care; Community health services; Community Health Workers - education; Community Health Workers - psychology; Community Relations; Credibility; Economic Status; Educators; Environment; Environmental health; Ethics; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Health; Health Education; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health promotion; Health Promotion - methods; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Health Sciences; Health Services; Households; Housing; Housing - standards; Humans; Indoor environments; Instructional Effectiveness; Knowledge; Learning; Listening Skills; Longitudinal studies; Male; Medical personnel; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Minority Groups; Obesity; Original Paper; Pretests Posttests; Professional Role; Public Health; Role Models; School Holding Power; Social Networks; Surveys; Teachers; Test Construction; Training; Workers; Healthy homes; Community health workers; Health promotion; Asthma
• ISSN: 0094-5145; 1573-3610
• DOI: 10.1007/s10900-011-9526-8

Promotoras
(community health workers) play an important health promotion role and must be continuously trained, but little is known about how much of their learning they actually put into practice. This non-randomized, longitudinal study examined knowledge and home environmental outcomes of an asthma and healthy homes training offered to
promotoras
using a train-the-trainer model. Eighty-five
promotoras
received the training and pre- and post-test surveys were used to measure training outcomes. Results showed a statistically significant increase in asthma and healthy home-related knowledge (
P
 < .001). At 12-months post-intervention, a majority of the
promotoras
(69%) reported they made household changes to improve their indoor environment as a result of the training. This study suggests that effective trainings can improve
promotoras
knowledge and behaviors for the promotion of healthy homes in the community. Further evaluation is needed to investigate whether these trainings allow
promotoras
to serve as role models within their communities “by educating through example” and thereby enhance their credibility as health educators.