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. 2024 Apr 10:12:1334279.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1334279. eCollection 2024.

Community health worker perspectives on advocacy: design-based research to develop a digital advocacy training course

Nophiwe Job  1 , Jamie Sewan Johnston  2 , Carey Westgate  3 , Nadine Ann Skinner  2 , Victoria Ward  2   4 , Madeleine Ballard  3   5 ; CHW Advisory Group
Affiliations

Community health worker perspectives on advocacy: design-based research to develop a digital advocacy training course

Nophiwe Job et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: While community health workers (CHWs) are well-positioned as health advocates, they frequently lack support and feel undervalued. Advocacy training may prepare CHWs to support communities better.

Methods: This study uses a design-based research approach to (1) explore how participation in curriculum-development workshops for a digital advocacy course influenced CHWs' (n = 25) perceptions of advocacy and (2) describe how CHW involvement shaped course development. Data were collected via five discussion groups and seven surveys over six months.

Results: Initially, the CHWs perceived themselves as community-advocates but not as self-advocates. They increasingly reflected on the merits of advocating for better working conditions and aspired to greater involvement in decision-making. CHWs reflected positively on their advisory role in shaping the course to improve content acceptability and validity.

Discussion: Training efforts to engage CHWs in advocacy must overcome systemic barriers and norms internalized by CHWs that deter them from reaching their full potential as advocates.

Keywords: CHWs; advocacy training; design-based research; digital training; health advocacy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Course infographic: ladder of participation.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Screenshots of mobile application course interface.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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