‘We have the time to listen’: community Health Trainers, identity work and boundaries

Jacquelyn Allen-Collinson; Rachel K. Williams; Geoff Middleton; Hannah Henderson; Lee Crust; Adam Brian Evans

doi:10.1080/2159676X.2019.1646317

‘We have the time to listen’: community Health Trainers, identity work and boundaries

Jacquelyn Allen-Collinson^*, Rachel K. Williams, Geoff Middleton, Hannah Henderson, Lee Crust, Adam Brian Evans

^*Corresponding author for this work

Sport, Individual & Society

Abstract

This article contributes empirical findings and sociological theoretical perspectives to discussions of the role of community lay health workers, including in improving the health of individuals and communities. We focus on the role of the Health Trainer (HT), at its inception described as one of the most innovative developments in UK Public Health policy. As lay health workers, HTs are tasked with reducing health inequalities in disadvantaged communities by supporting clients to engage in healthier lifestyles. HTs are currently sociologically under-researched, particularly in relation to occupational identity work, and the boundary work undertaken inter-occupationally with other health workers. To address this research lacuna, a qualitative study was undertaken with 25 HTs based in the Midlands region of the UK. In theorising our findings, we employ a novel combination of symbolic interactionist conceptualisation of 1) identity work, and of 2) boundary work. The article advances knowledge in the field of health and exercise by investigating and theorising how HTs construct, work at, manage, and communicate about professional/occupational boundaries, in order to provide personalised support to their clients in achieving and sustaining healthy behaviour change within the constraints of clients’ lifeworlds.

Original language	English
Journal	Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health
ISSN	2159-676X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2019.1646317
Publication status	Published - 7 Aug 2020

Keywords

Faculty of Science
Behaviour change
Community lay health workers
Health Trainers
Occupational identity work
Boundary work

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1080/2159676X.2019.1646317

Cite this

@article{6dad4940f32b4569947ada96d1981774,

title = "{\textquoteleft}We have the time to listen{\textquoteright}: community Health Trainers, identity work and boundaries",

abstract = "This article contributes empirical findings and sociological theoretical perspectives to discussions of the role of community lay health workers, including in improving the health of individuals and communities. We focus on the role of the Health Trainer (HT), at its inception described as one of the most innovative developments in UK Public Health policy. As lay health workers, HTs are tasked with reducing health inequalities in disadvantaged communities by supporting clients to engage in healthier lifestyles. HTs are currently sociologically under-researched, particularly in relation to occupational identity work, and the boundary work undertaken inter-occupationally with other health workers. To address this research lacuna, a qualitative study was undertaken with 25 HTs based in the Midlands region of the UK. In theorising our findings, we employ a novel combination of symbolic interactionist conceptualisation of 1) identity work, and of 2) boundary work. The article advances knowledge in the field of health and exercise by investigating and theorising how HTs construct, work at, manage, and communicate about professional/occupational boundaries, in order to provide personalised support to their clients in achieving and sustaining healthy behaviour change within the constraints of clients{\textquoteright} lifeworlds.",

keywords = "Faculty of Science, Behaviour change, Community lay health workers, Health Trainers, Occupational identity work, Boundary work",

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AU - Allen-Collinson, Jacquelyn

AU - K. Williams, Rachel

AU - Middleton, Geoff

AU - Henderson, Hannah

AU - Crust, Lee

AU - Evans, Adam Brian

N1 - CURIS 2019 NEXS 265

PY - 2020/8/7

Y1 - 2020/8/7

N2 - This article contributes empirical findings and sociological theoretical perspectives to discussions of the role of community lay health workers, including in improving the health of individuals and communities. We focus on the role of the Health Trainer (HT), at its inception described as one of the most innovative developments in UK Public Health policy. As lay health workers, HTs are tasked with reducing health inequalities in disadvantaged communities by supporting clients to engage in healthier lifestyles. HTs are currently sociologically under-researched, particularly in relation to occupational identity work, and the boundary work undertaken inter-occupationally with other health workers. To address this research lacuna, a qualitative study was undertaken with 25 HTs based in the Midlands region of the UK. In theorising our findings, we employ a novel combination of symbolic interactionist conceptualisation of 1) identity work, and of 2) boundary work. The article advances knowledge in the field of health and exercise by investigating and theorising how HTs construct, work at, manage, and communicate about professional/occupational boundaries, in order to provide personalised support to their clients in achieving and sustaining healthy behaviour change within the constraints of clients’ lifeworlds.

AB - This article contributes empirical findings and sociological theoretical perspectives to discussions of the role of community lay health workers, including in improving the health of individuals and communities. We focus on the role of the Health Trainer (HT), at its inception described as one of the most innovative developments in UK Public Health policy. As lay health workers, HTs are tasked with reducing health inequalities in disadvantaged communities by supporting clients to engage in healthier lifestyles. HTs are currently sociologically under-researched, particularly in relation to occupational identity work, and the boundary work undertaken inter-occupationally with other health workers. To address this research lacuna, a qualitative study was undertaken with 25 HTs based in the Midlands region of the UK. In theorising our findings, we employ a novel combination of symbolic interactionist conceptualisation of 1) identity work, and of 2) boundary work. The article advances knowledge in the field of health and exercise by investigating and theorising how HTs construct, work at, manage, and communicate about professional/occupational boundaries, in order to provide personalised support to their clients in achieving and sustaining healthy behaviour change within the constraints of clients’ lifeworlds.

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KW - Behaviour change

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KW - Occupational identity work

KW - Boundary work

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DO - 10.1080/2159676X.2019.1646317

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2159-676X

JO - Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health

JF - Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health

ER -

‘We have the time to listen’: community Health Trainers, identity work and boundaries

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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Cite this