Review and special articleLay Health Advisor Interventions Among Hispanics/Latinos: A Qualitative Systematic Review
Section snippets
Methods
This qualitative systematic review of the literature included a search of the literature using online electronic databases.15 The search was overseen by a team of researchers with extensive experience in health behavior intervention research and the use of LHA approaches. Ten literature databases were used, including: AgeLine, CINAHL, EBSCO Academic Search Elite and Premier, ERIC, Health Source Consumer and Nursing and Nursing/Academic Editions, pre-CINAHL, PsycINFO, and PubMed. Each database
Results
A total of 172 articles were identified. Of these, 37 studies met the inclusion criteria. LHA studies were divided into 11 health intervention priorities, including cancer prevention and screening (n=14)12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35; prenatal health (n=5)36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42; general health promotion and disease prevention (n=4)43, 44, 45, 46; cardiovascular disease prevention (n=4)14, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52; HIV (n=3)13, 53, 54, 55, 56
Discussion
Although the use of LHAs is widely advocated, the empirical evidence to support their use with Hispanics/Latinos living in the U.S. should be strengthened. Given the long history of using LHAs as an approach to health promotion and disease prevention10, 69, 70 and the current emphasis of LHA approaches as a potential solution to health disparities in general and among Hispanics/Latinos in particular,8, 71 rigorous studies should be initiated to test the effectiveness of LHAs in a variety of
Conclusion
Lay health advisor approaches have been promoted as a strategy to address health disparities experienced by Hispanic/Latino communities in the U.S. However, the findings of this review suggest that a stronger empirical basis is needed for LHA interventions.
Future reports of LHA studies would be most informative if they included more detail in the selection, training, and maintenance of LHAs; community educational and outreach activities undertaken by the LHAs after training; greater clarity
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