Community Health Worker Interventions Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Chronic Disease: A Systematic Review.
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
- 2Institute for Health Equity Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
- 3Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
- 4Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia.
- 5Levy Library, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York.
- 6Center for Nursing Research and Innovation, Mount Sinai Health System, New York, New York.
Abstract
Introduction
Chronic diseases disproportionately affect people facing social and economic adversity. Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly recognized as a key workforce for addressing social determinants of health (SDOH). However, evidence for the effect of CHW-led interventions on social and clinical outcomes among US adults with chronic disease is limited. This systematic review evaluated the effects of CHW-led interventions on SDOH and health outcomes.Methods
Following PRISMA guidelines and a registered Prospero protocol, we searched PubMed, Scopus, and Embase (Ovid) in April 2024 for US-based randomized or quasi-experimental studies involving adults with chronic disease and a patient-facing CHW intervention addressing at least 1 SDOH domain. Eligible studies were required to have a comparator group and report social or health outcomes. We used standardized forms to extract data and assess quality.Results
We identified 1,939 records and screened 1,058 abstracts. We reviewed 110 full-text articles; 7 studies met inclusion criteria. All were randomized controlled trials addressing at least 1 SDOH domain. Interventions most commonly targeted health care access, housing stability, or care coordination among adults with diabetes, HIV, asthma, hepatitis C, or hearing loss. CHW interventions demonstrated improvements in several condition-specific clinical outcomes, but overall effects on major clinical indicators were modest and inconsistent.Conclusion
CHW-led interventions show promise for addressing social needs and improving engagement in care among adults with chronic disease, but evidence of meaningful clinical benefit is still limited. The lack of large, well-powered trials underscores the need for more rigorous research to strengthen the evidence base for CHW-driven SDOH interventions in US health systems.
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BibTeX
@article{wilder2026community,
title = {{Community Health Worker Interventions Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Chronic Disease: A Systematic Review.}},
author = {Marcee Wilder and Aleksandra Degtyar and Jasmine McKay and Shruti Mavuri and Mia Bolton and Lynne D Richardson and Kimberly Souffront},
journal = {Preventing chronic disease},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.5888/pcd23.260132},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42955714},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Community Health Worker Interventions Addressing Social Determinants of Health in Chronic Disease: A Systematic Review.
AU - Marcee Wilder
AU - Aleksandra Degtyar
AU - Jasmine McKay
AU - Shruti Mavuri
AU - Mia Bolton
AU - Lynne D Richardson
AU - Kimberly Souffront
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Preventing chronic disease
DO - 10.5888/pcd23.260132
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42955714
AB - Introduction Chronic diseases disproportionately affect people facing social and economic adversity. Community health workers (CHWs) are increasingly recognized as a key workforce for addressing social determinants of health (SDOH). However, evidence for the effect of CHW-led interventions on social and clinical outcomes among US adults with chronic disease is limited. This systematic review evaluated the effects of CHW-led interventions on SDOH and health outcomes.Methods Following PRISMA guidelines and a registered Prospero protocol, we searched PubMed, Scopus, and Embase (Ovid) in April 2024 for US-based randomized or quasi-experimental studies involving adults with chronic disease and a patient-facing CHW intervention addressing at least 1 SDOH domain. Eligible studies were required to have a comparator group and report social or health outcomes. We used standardized forms to extract data and assess quality.Results We identified 1,939 records and screened 1,058 abstracts. We reviewed 110 full-text articles; 7 studies met inclusion criteria. All were randomized controlled trials addressing at least 1 SDOH domain. Interventions most commonly targeted health care access, housing stability, or care coordination among adults with diabetes, HIV, asthma, hepatitis C, or hearing loss. CHW interventions demonstrated improvements in several condition-specific clinical outcomes, but overall effects on major clinical indicators were modest and inconsistent.Conclusion CHW-led interventions show promise for addressing social needs and improving engagement in care among adults with chronic disease, but evidence of meaningful clinical benefit is still limited. The lack of large, well-powered trials underscores the need for more rigorous research to strengthen the evidence base for CHW-driven SDOH interventions in US health systems.
SN - 1545-1151
ER -