African Journal of Public Health and Health Systems | 08 April 2004
Assessing the Effectiveness of a Community Health Worker-Delivered Smoking Cessation Programme for Minibus Taxi Drivers in Accra, Ghana: A Working Paper
K, w, a, m, e, A, s, a, n, t, e, ,, K, o, f, i, M, e, n, s, a, h, A, d, j, e, i, ,, A, m, a, S, e, r, w, a, a, B, o, a, t, e, n, g
Abstract
Minibus taxi drivers in urban Ghana are a high-risk group for tobacco use, influenced by occupational stressors and social norms. This mobile population often finds smoking cessation services inaccessible. Community health worker (CHW) programmes represent a potential model for delivering health interventions in such low-resource, community-based settings. This working paper assesses the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a CHW-delivered, brief smoking cessation intervention tailored for minibus taxi drivers in Accra. The primary objective was to evaluate changes in self-reported smoking behaviour and cessation intentions following the intervention. A pre-post intervention study was conducted. Trained CHWs delivered a structured, culturally adapted brief advice session at taxi ranks. A convenience sample of drivers who reported current tobacco use completed a baseline survey, received the intervention, and was followed up after one month. Data were collected on smoking frequency, quit attempts, and perceived usefulness of the intervention. Preliminary follow-up data indicate a positive direction of change. Approximately 40% of participants reported making at least one serious quit attempt post-intervention. Qualitative feedback underscored the perceived relevance of receiving advice from a trusted community figure within the drivers’ own work environment. The CHW-delivered model appears to be a feasible and acceptable approach for providing cessation support to minibus taxi drivers. The intervention shows preliminary evidence of prompting quit attempts in this traditionally hard-to-reach group. Future work should involve a larger, controlled trial with biochemical verification of smoking status. Programmes should consider integrating cessation support with other occupational health services at taxi ranks. Policymakers should explore sustainable funding mechanisms for CHW involvement in non-communicable disease prevention. smoking cessation, community health workers, taxi drivers, Ghana, occupational health, brief intervention This working paper provides early evidence on the potential of a task-shifting model using community health workers to deliver smoking cessation support within the informal transport sector in a low-resource setting.