Evaluating the training of Filipino American community health advisors to disseminate colorectal cancer screening.

Authors: Maxwell AE, Danao LL, Cayetano RT, Crespi CM, Bastani R.

Community health advisor-led interventions are associated with improved health promotion behaviors, such as cancer screening, but the process of training community health advisors is rarely described and evaluated. We trained 91 Filipino Americans from 19 organizations to conduct small-group sessions with members of their organizations to promote colorectal cancer screening. Community health advisors had high levels of knowledge and self-efficacy at pre-training, but levels increased significantly immediately after the 6-h training (percent of knowledge items answered correctly: Correlates of self-efficacy at pre- and post-test were high educational attainment, health care background, high level of participation in the organization, being perceived by others as a leader, and frequent participation in research activities in the past. Consistent evaluation measuring similar constructs across studies may help to standardize the quality of the training, and may improve the implementation of community health advisor-led programs.