4 - Community Health Worker Interventions in Schools: A Systematic Literature Review

Poster Number: 4
Publication Number: 4.414

Nuo Xu, University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States; Michael D. Harries, Comer Children's Hospital at University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States; Anna Volerman, University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences The Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States

Background: Community health workers (CHWs) are trusted community members who promote awareness as well as provide education and care for health-related issues. While studies support the effectiveness of CHWs in various settings, no consensus exists on whether CHW-based interventions are effective in the K-12 school setting or best practices.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of CHW-based interventions within school settings and elucidate models of successful CHW integration.

Design/Methods: This systematic literature review identified CHW interventions in schools using PubMed, CINAHL, and SCOPUS databases. Articles were included if they described an intervention led by CHWs, targeting children and/or parents, and taking place primarily within a school setting (pre-kindergarten, Head Start, K-12, alternative high schools). Articles were excluded if they were not in English or described an intervention outside the United States. For each included article, data about the study characteristics, CHW intervention, and results were extracted. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed.

Results: Of a total of 1,875 articles identified in the initial search, 17 met inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Studies were excluded if they were not written in English or described an intervention outside the United States. Ten of the 17 articles included described a positive outcome, including increasing asthma self-management, reducing drug abuse, developing resilience, and achieving smoking cessation. Eleven articles provided details regarding CHW recruitment, training, and roles that would enable reproduction of the intervention.Conclusion(s): The use of CHWs in schools for children and/or families is promising. Successful interventions varied in terms of school locations, populations, and topics, suggesting CHW-based interventions in schools are adaptable to meet community needs, similar to other CHW programs. However, limited reporting of CHW roles, recruitment, and training precluded the identification of specific CHW models associated with success. More comprehensive reporting is needed to determine best practices of CHW integration within the school setting. Next steps should include establishing a standardized reporting mechanism for CHW interventions in schools to allow for reproducibility, scalability, and evaluation of studies.