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Using lay health workers: case study of a community-based prenatal intervention.
J S Meister1, L H Warrick, J G de Zapién
1Southwest Border Rural Health Research Center, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson 85724.
Journal of Community Health
|February 1, 1992
Summary
This study implemented a prenatal outreach program for low-income Hispanic women in Arizona farmworker communities. The intervention utilized a Spanish curriculum, community health promoters, and a professional support network to improve prenatal education.
Area of Science:
- Community Health
- Public Health Interventions
- Maternal Health
Background:
- Low-income Hispanic women in farmworker communities face unique barriers to prenatal care.
- Effective outreach and education are crucial for improving maternal and infant health outcomes.
- Targeted interventions are needed to address health disparities in vulnerable populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and implement a culturally appropriate prenatal outreach and education intervention.
- To assess the feasibility and factors influencing the implementation of the program.
- To provide guidelines for developing similar community-based health programs.
Main Methods:
- Development of a Spanish language prenatal curriculum.
- Recruitment and training of Hispanic "Comienzo Sano" (healthy beginning) Promotoras (health promoters) from the target communities.
- Establishment of a local health professional support network.
Main Results:
- The intervention successfully integrated a culturally tailored curriculum and community health workers.
- Facilitating factors included community trust and collaboration; constraints involved resource limitations and logistical challenges.
- The program demonstrated potential for improving prenatal education accessibility.
Conclusions:
- Community-based participatory approaches, like the "Comienzo Sano" program, are effective for reaching underserved populations.
- The integration of Promotoras and professional networks enhances program reach and impact.
- Lessons learned can inform the development of scalable and sustainable prenatal health initiatives.