title: The community health advisor program and the deep South network for cancer control: health promotion programs for volunteer community health advisors.
abstract: The Community Health Advisor program is a proven, community-driven health promotion program that identifies and trains natural helpers who then seek to improve the health of individuals and their communities. This article details the basis of the Community Health Advisor model and describes early pilot programs in the Mississippi Delta. Also described is the formation of the Community Health Advisor Network, which provides technical assistance to Community Health Advisor programs and the proliferation of Community Health Advisor programs nationally. Specifically, details are presented of the modification of the model for the Deep South Network for Cancer Control and of early findings showing a decrease in health disparities in Alabama.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Center for Sustainable Health Outreach, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi 39406-0001, USA. Agnes.Hinton@usm.edu
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hinton
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Downey
authors.forename: Nedra
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lisovicz
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mayfield-Johnson
authors.forename: Freddie
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: White-Johnson
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D000407:Alabama / Q000453:epidemiology; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003256:Community Participation / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008922:Mississippi / Q000453:epidemiology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods; D012577:Schools, Medical; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States