Childrens Aid Society, New York City, NY 10017, USA.
Bull World Health Organ. 2011 Sep 1;89(9):648-56. doi: 10.2471/BLT.11.086777. Epub 2011 Jul 5.
To examine the feasibility of using community health workers (CHWs) to implement cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programmes within faith-based organizations in Accra, Ghana.
Faith-based organization capacity, human resources, health programme sustainability/barriers and community members' knowledge were evaluated. Data on these aspects were gathered through a mixed method design consisting of in-depth interviews and focus groups with 25 church leaders and health committee members from five churches, and of a survey of 167 adult congregants from two churches.
The delivery of a CVD prevention programme in faith-based organizations by CHWs is feasible. Many faith-based organizations already provide health programmes for congregants and involve non-health professionals in their health-care activities, and most congregants have a basic knowledge of CVD. Yet despite the feasibility of the proposed approach to CVD prevention through faith-based organizations, sociocultural and health-care barriers such as poverty, limited human and economic resources and limited access to health care could hinder programme implementation.
The barriers to implementation identified in this study need to be considered when defining CVD prevention programme policy and planning.
探讨在加纳阿克拉的信仰组织中使用社区卫生工作者（CHWs）实施心血管疾病（CVD）预防计划的可行性。
评估信仰组织的能力、人力资源、卫生计划的可持续性/障碍以及社区成员的知识。通过混合方法设计，包括对来自五个教堂的 25 位教会领袖和健康委员会成员进行深入访谈和焦点小组讨论，以及对来自两个教堂的 167 名成年会众进行调查，收集了这些方面的数据。
CHWs 在信仰组织中提供 CVD 预防计划是可行的。许多信仰组织已经为会众提供健康计划，并让非健康专业人员参与他们的医疗保健活动，大多数会众对 CVD 有基本的了解。然而，尽管通过信仰组织进行 CVD 预防的拟议方法具有可行性，但贫困、人力资源和经济资源有限以及获得医疗保健的机会有限等社会文化和医疗保健障碍可能会阻碍计划的实施。
在制定 CVD 预防计划政策和规划时，需要考虑本研究中确定的实施障碍。
