| Abstract |
Community health workers (CHWs) are public health leaders with a close connection to the members of their communities. These mentors play vital roles in marginalized populations. Previous research has shown CHWs can significantly increase physical activity (PA) in their communities. Despite the numerous studies that investigate the relationship between CHWs and PA, no systemic review has been completed in the United States. As a result, this systematic literature review aims to fill the existing gap in research by providing a thorough examination of the impact CHWs have on adult PA in the United States. Articles were included in the review if they were peer-reviewed, conducted in the United States, studied only adults, and had PA as the primary or a secondary outcome measure. All research methodologies, including reviews, were considered, dependent on research outcomes being reported. From January to February 2019, we searched Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, MEDLINE Complete, PsychINFO, SPORT Discus, PubMed, and Web of Science using a combination of: “community health worker,” “exercise”, “promotor”, and “physical activity.” Quality assessment was performed using a two-reviewer process. In total, our search yielded 786 articles, with 69 studies included in the final analysis. The review revealed a high degree of evidence in support of CHWs ability to increase PA within their communities. This increase in PA was observed at varying levels depending upon the community and intervention strategy. For communities looking to create public health programs, CHWs should be incorporated into the intervention due to their potential for improving program results.
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| Modified Abstract |
Community health workers (CHWs) are public health leaders with a close connection to the members of their communities. Previous research has shown CHWs can significantly increase physical activity (PA) in their communities, but no systematic review has been completed. This systematic literature review aims to fill the gap in research by examining the impact CHWs have on adult PA in the United States. Articles were included in the review if they were peer-reviewed, conducted in the United States, studied only adults, and had PA as a primary or secondary outcome measure. In total, our search yielded 786 articles, with 69 studies included in the final analysis. The review revealed a high degree of evidence in support of CHWs ability to increase PA within their communities.
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