Factors influencing performance of community-based health volunteers’ activities in the Kassena-Nankana Districts of Northern Ghana

Background An increasing demand for health care services and getting health care closer to doorsteps of communities has made health managers to use trained community-based health volunteers to support in providing health services to people in rural communities. Community volunteerism in Ghana has been identified as an effective strategy in the implementation of Primary Health Care activities since 1970s. However, little is known about the performance of these volunteers engaged in health interventions activities at the community level. This study assessed the level of performance and factors that affect the performance of health volunteers’ activities in Northern Ghana. Methods This was a cross-sectional study using quantitative method of data collection. Two hundred structured interviews were conducted with health volunteers. Data collectors visited health volunteers at home and conducted the interviews after informed consent was obtained. STATA Version 11.2 was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics were used to assess the level of performance of the health volunteers. Multiple logistic regression models were then used to assess factors that influence the performance of health volunteers. Results About 45% of volunteers scored high on performance. In the multivariate analysis, educational status [OR = 4.64 95% CI (1.22–17.45)] and ethnicity [OR = 1.85 95% CI (1.00–3.41)] were the factors that influenced the performance of health volunteers. Other intermediary factors such as incentives and means of transport also affected the performance of health volunteers engaged in health intervention activities at the community level. Conclusion The results suggest that higher educational status of health volunteers is more likely to increase their performance. In addition, providing non-monetary incentives and logistics such as bicycles, raincoats, torch lights and wellington boots will enhance the performance of health volunteers and also motivate them to continue to provide health services to their own people at the community level.