Community health workers’ interaction with people who use drugs in Dien Bien in 2019

Objectives: To describe the interactions of community health workers (CHW) with people who use drugs (PWUD) and  the associated factors at community health centers (CHC) in Dien Bien in 2019.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted, collecting data from 276 CHW in 67 CHC in Dien Bien in 2019. Participants’ interactions with PWUD, job satisfaction, perception of risk and stigma when working with PWUD, attitude and empathy towards PWUD were measured using multi-item scales. A multivariate linear regression model was performed to explore factors associated with CHW’ interaction with PWUD.

Results: The mean score of CHW’ interaction with PWUD was 47.2/60 (SD ± 7.9). CHW’s interaction score was negatively associated with negative attitude (β = -0.169, 95% CL: -0.247; -0.090), and positively associated with empathy towards PWUD (β = 0.193; 95% CL= 0.090; 0.296), after adjusting for their background (gender, education level, major responsibility and years in medical field) and job-related characteristics.

Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of CHW' empathy and attitude towards PWUD in engaging with this population during clinical interaction. Tailored interventions aimed at reducing stigma and enhancing empathy could enhance providers' rapport with PWUD, leading to improved treatment engagement and outcomes.

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