A model for developing the competencies of Village Health Volunteers in the prevention and control of communicable diseases at the community level: a case study of Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand.

Authors

Pariyakorn Chaleephrom, Songkhamchai Leethongdissakul, Vorapoj Promasatayaprot

Published in

Frontiers in public health. Volume 14. Pages 1781727. Epub Jun 25, 2026.

Abstract

Village Health Volunteers (VHVs) constitute a crucial community health workforce in communicable disease prevention and control. Despite generally strong performance, persistent gaps in digital literacy, data management, and risk communication indicate a need for a structured competency development model.
A mixed-methods Multiphase Research design was employed from March 2022 to July 2024, integrating quantitative surveys with qualitative focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. Phase 1 comprised quantitative (n = 416) and qualitative (n = 100) data collection using multi-stage stratified random sampling and purposive sampling, respectively. Phase 2 (n = 34) employed the Plan-Act-Observe-Reflect cycle to develop the competency model. Phase 3 (n = 33) evaluated the intervention.
Baseline assessment indicated that most VHVs were female (80.53%), aged 51-60 years (43.03%), and had 11-20 years of experience (45.19%). Overall self-reported competency was at a high level (mean = 3.71, SD = 0.46), with strong performance in practices (mean = 4.34, SD = 0.42), moderate-to-high skills (mean = 3.60, SD = 0.45), and the lowest scores in knowledge (mean = 3.59, SD = 0.49). Qualitative findings identified substantive competency gaps in epidemiological reasoning, digital literacy, systematic data recording, risk communication, and leadership. The SMART VHV Plus Model, comprising five components (communicable disease control, management, technology, leadership and teamwork, and community health planning), was subsequently developed and delivered through five structured training programmes. Post-intervention assessment demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in overall competency scores: from a pre-intervention mean of 86.14% (SD = 7.65, classified as moderate) to a post-intervention mean of 98.16% (SD = 1.95, classified as high), representing a mean difference of 12.02 percentage points (95% CI: 9.84-14.20, p < 0.05).
The SMART VHV Plus Model was associated with meaningful improvements in VHV competencies in communicable disease prevention and control. Its participatory design and integration of digital literacy, leadership, and community health planning provide a potentially sustainable framework for strengthening community health workforce capacity.

PMID:
42428931
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 10 Jul 2026.

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