Evaluation of a social worker-led health care program for low-income elderly women: a pilot trial

Aim Low-income Cantonese women aged 60 years and older are more likely to have multiple non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Neither the independent primary health care system nor the social work system is equipped to address their complex needs regarding health and daily care. The objective of this study was to design and evaluate a social worker-led self-management program for older community-dwelling women with NCDs. Subject and methods A total of 144 and 138 participants were recruited in the intervention and control groups, respectively, from 10 communities in Guangzhou, China. The intervention group was designed so that each community recruited two social workers to carry out an NCD self-management program. A health care professional assisted social workers to complete six weekly two-hour sessions. The control group had no extra intervention. The evaluation was conducted at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Outcomes included changes in weight, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), lipid profile, self-management behaviors, and NCD-related knowledge. Results After 12 months, participants had gained 3.6 and 6.6 kg (p = 0.025 for between-group difference) in the intervention and control groups, respectively. NCD-related knowledge increased by 15.4% and 11.3% (p < 0.001 for between-group difference), respectively. The intervention group had a greater increase in self-reported exercise (87% to 95%) than the control group (81% to 85%) (p difference = 0.031). General linear regression analysis showed that the intervention effects were significant for FPG (p = 0.013) and total cholesterol (TC) (p = 0.046). Conclusion A social worker-led NCD self-management program successfully promoted NCD-related knowledge and decreased metabolic risk factors in low-income Cantonese women. Name of the register: Evaluation on effectiveness of non-communicable disease self-management models led by social organization Registration number: ChiCTR1800015659 Date of registration: 2018/04/13