A Cluster-Randomized Trial to Test Sharing Histories as a Training Method for Community Health Workers in Peru

Authors: Laura C. Altobelli, José Cabrejos-Pita, Mary Penny and Stan Becker

Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly deployed to support adoption of healthy home practices in low- and middle-income countries. However, little is known about how best to train them for the capabilities and cultural competencies needed to support maternal health behavior change. The authors of this article tested a CHW training method, Sharing Histories (SH), in which CHWs recount their own childbearing and childrearing experiences as a foundation for new learning. Compared with standard training methods, SH may have improved the effectiveness of CHWs as change agents among literate mothers to reduce child stunting.