Assessment of individual demographic factors influencing the performance of community health workers in Katavi Region, Tanzania

Abstract

The role of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in reconnecting HIV patients with treatment cannot be ignored. However, in regions with low HIV prevalence like Katavi (3.8%), their effectiveness is not well comprehended. Therefore, to appraise the performance of CHWs in tracking back to the treatment of HIV patients, the study focused on some individual demographic factors affecting the performance of CHWs in the Katavi region. The study employed a cross-sectional design, collecting data from 138 CHWs using questionnaires that focused on individual demographic factors. The significance of factors affecting CHW performance was assessed using Logistic regression. The performance of CHWs was generally positively ranked at 77.7%. Significant individual demographic factors included age and education level, with educational qualifications showing a stronger impact (OR 6.25, 95% CI 1.17 - 33.37, p=0.032 for certificates; OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.09 - 0.72, p=0.010 for secondary education) compared to age (OR 5.09, 95% CI 1.32 - 19.50, p=0.006 for ages 26-35; OR 0.07, 95% CI 0.00 - 0.68, p=0.036 for those over 45). While the performance of CHWs was commendable (77.7%), it is crucial to address the factors affecting their performance to effectively combat new HIV infections.