title: Is there a role for community health workers in tobacco cessation programs? Perceptions of administrators and health care professionals.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies have shown that with appropriate training, Community Health Workers (CHWs) can be actively involved in health promotion and disease prevention (including tobacco cessation). This study examined the perceptions of administrators and health care professionals regarding the actual and potential role(s) of CHWs in a tobacco cessation program (TCP) within a universal health care system.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was part of a larger exploratory, cross-sectional comprehensive assessment of the implementation of the TCP through the primary care public health system in 7 towns in the state of Paraná, Brazil. Questionnaires were administered to 84 administrators at different levels (regional, municipal, and health units) and 80 health care professionals who were directly involved in the TCP. For this study, we assessed the perceptions of administrators and health care professionals on the actual and potential role(s) of CHWs in the TCP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall response rate was 56.2%. Although 48.4% of respondents indicated that CHWs already participated in the TCP, there was a wide range in the participants' responses regarding their involvement (33.3% among regional administrators and 65% among health care professionals). Identification/referral of patients and promotion of the TCP in the community were the most frequent CHWs' activities reported. Overall, respondents were very receptive about trained CHWs having multiple roles in the TCP, except for delivery of a brief intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With appropriate training, health care administrators and health care professionals are very receptive regarding the involvement of CHWs in a TCP delivered through a public health system.
authors.affiliation: Division of Preventive Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL.
authors.forename: Lorna
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bittencourt
authors.forename: Isabel C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Scarinci
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001938:Brazil; D003150:Community Health Workers; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011634:Public Health; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D020340:Tobacco Use Cessation / Q000379:methods*