TY - JOUR
T1 - Retention of Community Health Workers in the Public Health Workforce
T2 - Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey, 2017 and 2021
AU - Kirkland, Chelsey
AU - Dill, Janette S.
AU - Karnik, Harshada
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 American Public Health Association Inc.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2024/1
Y1 - 2024/1
N2 - Objectives. To investigate the organizational factors contributing to the intent of community health workers (CHWs) to quit their jobs in local and state health departments in the United States. Methods. We used the 2017 (n 5 844) and 2021 (n 5 1014) Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey data sets to predict CHWs’ intent to leave with Stata 17 balanced repeated replication survey estimations. Results. CHWs dissatisfied with organizational support, pay, or job security had high probabilities of reporting an intent to leave (50%, P < .01; 39%, P < .01; and 42%, P < .01, respectively) relative to satisfied or neutral workers (24%, P < .01; 21%, P < .01; and 26%, P < .01, respectively). Conclusions. Improving organizational support, pay satisfaction, and job security satisfaction in public health agencies can significantly improve CHW retention, potentially lowering overall organizational costs, enhancing organizational morale, and promoting community health. Public Health Implications. Our findings shed light on actionable ways to improve CHW retention, including assessing training needs; prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion; and improving communication between management and workers. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(1):44–47. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307462)
AB - Objectives. To investigate the organizational factors contributing to the intent of community health workers (CHWs) to quit their jobs in local and state health departments in the United States. Methods. We used the 2017 (n 5 844) and 2021 (n 5 1014) Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey data sets to predict CHWs’ intent to leave with Stata 17 balanced repeated replication survey estimations. Results. CHWs dissatisfied with organizational support, pay, or job security had high probabilities of reporting an intent to leave (50%, P < .01; 39%, P < .01; and 42%, P < .01, respectively) relative to satisfied or neutral workers (24%, P < .01; 21%, P < .01; and 26%, P < .01, respectively). Conclusions. Improving organizational support, pay satisfaction, and job security satisfaction in public health agencies can significantly improve CHW retention, potentially lowering overall organizational costs, enhancing organizational morale, and promoting community health. Public Health Implications. Our findings shed light on actionable ways to improve CHW retention, including assessing training needs; prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion; and improving communication between management and workers. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(1):44–47. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2023.307462)
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U2 - 10.2105/ajph.2023.307462
DO - 10.2105/ajph.2023.307462
M3 - Article
C2 - 38033282
AN - SCOPUS:85180004016
SN - 0090-0036
VL - 114
SP - 44
EP - 47
JO - American journal of public health
JF - American journal of public health
IS - 1
ER -