| For minorities and women, social support can aid significantly in overcoming barriers, such as limited resources, and in promoting behavior change. The lay health advisor (LHA) model uses the social support of existing social networks by training people whom others turn to in their communities, 'natural helpers', to disseminate health messages. The LHA model has been used for over thirty years, and yet there remains a lack of agreement about the success and impact of such health intervention programs. Does the success of the model lie in the selection of natural helpers? Identifying and characterizing natural helpers' interpersonal and intra-personal characteristics in different settings may determine what recruitment methods and settings are favorable for dissemination of certain health messages.; This study compares and contrasts the characteristics of natural helpers in rural churches and worksites by examining their social support, social integration, communication, health behaviors, health status, organizational integration, religiosity, motivations, and self-perceptions. The "tailoring" of natural helpers to participate in specific training programs, based on such characteristics, may be the future for community program development. The findings of this study may make it possible to determine characteristics of and methods for selecting potentially effective lay health advisors. |
