Recruitment and Training Issues From Selected Lay Health Advisor Programs Among African Americans: A 20-Year Perspective

The use of lay health advisors (LHAs) to address the health disparity among African Americans is well documented and considered a culturally appropriate model of community health promotion. The recruitment and training of LHAs are important components of the model but have not been fully explored in the LHA literature. Recruitment and training of LHAs should reflect both the existing roles they have in their respective communities and those proposed by the programs to which they are recruited. This article reviews and describes the components of recruitment and training as implemented in selected LHA programs among African Americans. The article will address the role and purpose of LHAs in health promotion among African Americans, a historical perspective of recruitment and training, recruitment and training methods in selected LHAs programs for African Americans, and recommendations for the recruitment and training of LHAs for health promotion among African Americans.