LHA Training Lights the Way to Good Health

Lay health advisors (LHAs) in Beaufort, Bertie and Martin Counties headed to the classroom last summer and fall to study new advising techniques and expand their knowledge about cancer risks and early detection. Graduates of the 10-hour training program were full of praise for NC-BCSP's updated LHA curriculum. Barbara Council, a new LHA from Martin County, said she highly recommends the training, and added, "Learning about ways to communicate with women was so informative - I apply it to everything."

The new training program takes into account a range of learning styles and includes activities designed so all the lay health advisors, ranging in ages from their 20's to their 80's, can participate fully. The curriculum also celebrates the strong commitment of NC-BCSP LHAs to spiritual health. Each training session opens and closes with a prayer. Then, after studying cancer statistics, risk factors and screening recommendations, the LHAs learn to practice stage-based advising strategies in a spiritual context. For women who have never had a mammogram, LHAs learn to Witness about the benefits. For women who know the benefits of screening but for one reason or another are not complying with screening recommendations, LHAs Light the Way on how to overcome barriers. Finally, for women who are being screened routinely, LHAs offer encouragement and Praise! According to Martin County LHA Sennie Harrell, the new advising strategy "gives us a way to really put women at ease. I've been talking to this woman who's really reluctant. But, from the training, we know how to talk to someone like that!."

In Beaufort County, where the rate of mammography use remains low compared to the surrounding counties, the training focused on honing LHAs' advising skills to promote mammography among "harder-to-reach" women. In Bertie and Martin Counties, however, the training program was expanded to promote Pap testing as well as mammography. Black women are twice as likely as White women to develop cervical cancer and more than two times as likely to die from this cancer. The increased death rate for Black women is due specifically to the higher number of cervical cancer deaths among older Black women.

NC-BCSP's updated training program for LHAs includes information about risk factors for breast and cervical cancer, how often women should be screened, and how to counsel women to get Pap smears and mammograms using the stages of change theory. To help the Martin and Bertie LHAs expand their mission to include cervical as well as breast health, they also learned about female anatomy and watched a video of a Pap test being performed. Ms. Harrell described these aspects of the training as "absolutely necessary," and went on to explain, "Women are going to ask you questions, and you need to know what you're talking about."

Returning LHAs were just as enthusiastic about the revised training as the newcomers. Goldie Evans, a long-time Bertie County LHA, said coming back for the updated training was definitely worthwhile. As a retired nurse, Ms. Evans is already knowledgeable about breast and cervical cancer. But, she enjoyed learning how to counsel women more effectively. She also feels enthusiastic about the number of younger women being trained as LHAs; they add to the "energy, zeal and enthusiasm" that are trademarks of NC-BCSP lay health advisors.