Community Health Worker Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices and Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence

Authors: Zahra Saboori, Robert S. Gold, Kerry M. Green & Min Qi Wang

In this cross-sectional study, researchers from Maryland, U.S. sought to determine knowledge, practices, and readiness to manage intimate partner violence, IPV, among CHWs. Using existing literature, researchers tailored the Physician Readiness to Manage Intimate Partner Violence Survey, or PREMIS. One-hundred and fifty-two CHWs enrolled in the study and took the adapted PREMIS. After analysis, researchers found that more than 50 percent of participating CHWs had not received training on IPV. Additionally, nearly half of surveyed CHWs were unaware of their workplace IPV policies. Overall, the average CHW IPV knowledge score was 64 percent. This study demonstrates that CHWs may not receive the training needed to properly identify cases of IPV or to provide patients with the appropriate resources. In the future, standardized training may be implemented as part of the CHW curriculum.