Comprehensive Advocacy Training Program for the Barangay Health Workers in Camalig North District
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19058958Keywords:
Barangay Health Workers, Public Health Services, Health Roles, Competence, Comprehensive Advocacy Training Program, Advocacy Training ProgramAbstract
This study evaluated the roles and competence of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) in Camalig North District, Camalig, Albay. It developed a Comprehensive Advocacy Training Program to strengthen its technical, communication, and advocacy capacities. Barangay Health Workers, recognized under Republic Act No. 7883, play a vital role in delivering primary health care services at the community level. Guided by Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behavior, Merton’s Role Theory, and Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, the study examined how demographic characteristics, training exposure, and professional experience influence BHW competence in fulfilling their community health responsibilities.
A descriptive-quantitative, cross-sectional research design was utilized, involving all 107 BHWs through total enumeration. Data were collected using a validated researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and the Chi-square test to determine associations between demographic variables and competence. Findings revealed that most BHWs are middle-aged or older, predominantly high school graduates, and have participated in core health-related training, including First Aid, Basic Health Care, and Health Education. Overall, BHWs demonstrated a consistently high level of competence (overall weighted mean = 4.72) across key roles, including child nutrition, immunization, basic health assessment, patient identification and referral, implementation of public health programs, and health data gathering. Immunization and data management demonstrated the strongest performance, whereas nutrition education, advocacy, communication skills, and data interpretation require further enhancement.
Inferential analysis indicated that years of experience and training attended significantly influence competence, whereas age and educational attainment do not. These findings emphasize the importance of continuous, experience-based, and targeted capacity-building initiatives in sustaining high performance among BHWs. Based on the results, a Comprehensive Advocacy Training Program is proposed, focusing on hands-on modules, simulations, and practical exercises to enhance technical proficiency, communication strategies, community mobilization, and evidence-based advocacy. Strengthening structured training and professional development mechanisms will further empower BHWs to serve as competent and confident frontline health advocates, thereby improving sustainable community health outcomes in the Camalig North District.
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