Evaluation of a Lay Health Worker Program to Increase Community Knowledge about Albinism in Same District, Tanzania

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Winter 2018

Publication Title

Global Journal of Health Education and Promotion—Special Issue

Abstract

Lay health workers have been effectively utilized for a variety of public health interventions. However, such interventions focusing on improvement and retention of community knowledge about albinism have yet to be studied. This article reports results from a program evaluation of a lay health worker intervention in Same District, Tanzania. The program employed 33 lay health workers, who conducted 60-90 minute educational presentations (n=332) about albinism in community locations throughout the district. A 15 item questionnaire that assessed knowledge about albinism was administered to randomly selected community members in each ward during the month before the presentations (n=896), the month after the presentations (n=743), and one year after the presentations (n=1327). Results differed significantly across all three time periods, with significant gains in knowledge about albinism from the baseline to one month following the interventions. No differences were found between the second and third time points, indicating that knowledge gains persisted over a one-year period. Findings suggest that carrying out a targeted education program using lay health workers was associated with a long-term increase in community knowledge about albinism, although overall knowledge levels remained low.

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