Assessment of risk factors for Non-Communicable diseases among a cohort of community health workers in Western Cape, South Africa

Levona Johnson¹, Laura Schopp², Firdouza Waggie³, J.M Frantz³

1. University of the Western Cape, Physiotherapy
2. University of Missouri, Health Physiotherapy
3. University of Western Cape, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences

Correspondence: Levona Johnson (Levona.Johnson@westerncape.gov.za))

Introduction
Community Health Workers (CHWs) have been identified as the key health professionals to drive the agenda of
the prevention of health risk behaviours, linked to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in South Africa. They are
regarded as the agents of change, who will provide impetus to the achievement of the health behaviour goals, set out
by the South African National Department of Health1. However, this cohort, may suffer from an array of NCDs.
There are various risk factors that influence the health of individuals and contribute to NCDs, including modifiable
and non-modifiable risk factors, which cannot be changed, or altered by an intervention, such as age, family history,
gender and ethnicity2,3. Modifiable risk factors have been classified as behavioural, physical, and biological4.