Prior health promotion experience and intervention outcomes in a lay health advisor intervention

Training lay community members to implement health promotion interventions is an effective method to educate medically underserved populations. Some trainings are designed for individuals who already have a health-related background; however, others are developed for those with no previous health promotion experience. It is unknown whether those with backgrounds in health promotion are more effective in this role than those without. This study assessed the relationship between health promotion experience among trained community health advisors (CHAs) and their self-efficacy to implement an evidence-based cancer control intervention, as well as cancer knowledge and screening behavior outcomes among intervention participants. Data were collected from 66 trained CHAs and 269 participants in CHA-led cancer awareness and early detection workshops. CHAs reported high self-efficacy to implement the intervention independent of their health promotion experience. CHA health promotion experience was neither indicative of differences in participant colorectal or breast cancer knowledge at 12 months, nor of changes in participant-reported cancer screening. However, participant prostate cancer knowledge at 12 months was greater when taught by CHAs with previous health promotion experience (P < 0.01). Prior health promotion experience of trained health advisors may not be pivotal across all contexts, but they may affect specific knowledge outcomes.