Examining the Preliminary Effectiveness on Knowledge of a Tobacco Cessation Facilitator Training for Community Health Workers.

Abstract

Introduction: Disparities in access to tobacco cessation support and resources remain significant issues among community members with low socioeconomic status (SES). Community health workers (CHWs) can connect with community members and have flexibility in delivering treatments to underserved populations. The Community Health Allies Nicotine Guidance Education (C.H.A.N.G.E.) project, designed for CHWs, aimed to address the disparities by implementing a tailored tobacco cessation training program. The current study examined the C.H.A.N.G.E. program's preliminary effectiveness on CHW knowledge gain.

Methods: Data were collected from CHWs in Chicago, IL who participated in the training program between October 2022 and December 2023, and CHWs completed a tobacco cessation knowledge questionnaire pre-training, post-training, and at 1- and 6-month follow-up. A paired samples t-test was conducted to assess changes in CHWs' pre-post knowledge change. Descriptive analyses were also explored to examine the type of knowledge that was retained and whether that differed by the client population that CHWs served.

Results: CHWs (N = 72) were mostly women (68%) who worked in their current role for an average of 2.34 years (SD = 1.54). The mean age of participants in the study was 38.06 years (SD = 13.09). Baseline knowledge was low (M = 3.75 [1.18] out of 10) but significantly increased post-training (M = 6.64 [1.13]; P < .001). There was no difference in change of tobacco cessation knowledge scores for groups based on client population served.

Conclusion: The C.H.A.N.G.E. training effectively improved CHWs' tobacco cessation knowledge. However, knowledge changes had no differences based on client types of CHWs. This study highlighted the importance of continuous adaptation and evaluation of training programs to fit the needs of CHWs and their clients in underserved, community-based settings.