Table 3 Emphases from the theoretical review and formative research that support the key components of the community intervention

Participatory village health club (VHC) facilitated by a CHW that is open to all, fun and focused on local health improvement via local community assets with emphasis on the CHW

• Reinforcement and validation of CHW role value to CHWs through facilitation of the VHC and receiving community feedback

• CHWs want a greater sense of connectedness to their community. Community groups established to monitor and provide feedback to CHWs may improve motivation and performance by bringing CHWs closer to their community

• By directly seeing and receiving feedback on impact of their work, CHWs will more readily recognise the value of their work to the community and CHW collective

• Promoting the positive work that CHWs do in their community is reportedly motivating for CHWs and may engender greater community trust and standing/status of the CHWs

• Working directly with community members as they identify, prioritise and find solutions to local health challenges will reinforce a sense of connectedness between CHWs and their community

• CHWs value community feedback

• By operating in an interactive local forum, community expectations around what it is within the CHWs’ power to deliver can be explained and managed

• Locally meaningful activities are more likely to be sustained by the community with community groups highlighting the positive role played by CHWs, improving community esteem for CHWs