Training Community Health Ambassadors to Administer SOPARC.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Community Health Interventions
• Physical Activity Surveillance

Background:

• Standardized instruments for physical activity monitoring often require specialized training.
• Community Health Ambassadors (CHAs) are lay individuals involved in community health initiatives.
• The System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) is a validated tool for assessing physical activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if lay Community Health Ambassadors can be trained to administer the SOPARC instrument.
• To assess the feasibility of using CHAs for physical activity monitoring in community settings.

Main Methods:

• A training program was developed and implemented for CHAs on SOPARC administration.
• CHAs were certified upon completion of the training.
• Trained CHAs collected pre- and post-intervention physical activity data at community sites.

Main Results:

• Fifty-six CHAs from four community partner groups were successfully trained and certified in SOPARC.
• CHAs effectively documented physical activity data at 20 different community sites.
• Preliminary data collection demonstrated the successful application of SOPARC by trained CHAs.

Conclusions:

• Lay Community Health Ambassadors can be effectively trained to administer the SOPARC instrument.
• CHAs represent a viable resource for community-based physical activity surveillance.
• This approach supports community health delivery by empowering local ambassadors.