Abstract
ObjectiveThis project evaluated the outcomes of training high school students to deliver consumer health information to their peers.MethodsA total of 120 students selected from 7 high schools in Oyo state, Nigeria, received 8 hours of training on consumer health literacy and peer education, which is a process of training volunteers to deliver health information to their peers. The training included hands-on activities using the students’ own mobile phones. After the training, peer educators distributed leaflets, showed consumer health information (CHI) websites to others, counseled and referred fellow students, and submitted forms describing these activities. All peer educators completed pre- and post-tests, and 10 were interviewed 4 months after training.ResultsAfter the training, the authors found improvement in the trainees’ knowledge of CHI resources and understanding of their roles as peer educators. Most peer educators (72.5%) delivered CHI to their peers after the training, primarily through sharing websites on teen health and other CHI resources. In the interviews, all peer educators reported direct benefits from participating in the project, and many stated that they knew where to find reliable health information.ConclusionVolunteer high school students can be trained to deliver CHI to their peers using mobile phones.
Highlights
The advent of the Internet has improved access to health information globally
The widespread ownership and use of mobile phones in Nigeria [35] provided an excellent opportunity to use these devices in the delivery of a consumer health literacy intervention
23.3% of peer educator (PE) had heard about Consumer health information (CHI) before the training, which increased to 90.1% after the training (Table 2)
Summary
The advent of the Internet has improved access to health information globally. It has raised awareness of various types of health information that enable individuals to be actively involved in their own health care decision making. An early definition of health literacy is “cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to, understand and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health” [6]. Health literacy has been defined as “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions” [7, 8]. Health literacy requires that individuals know where to locate and how to act on credible information to answer health questions [9]
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