Peer Education Program Research Articles

An Initial Investigation of the Kit for Kids Peer Educational Program

A large number of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) receive instruction in general education classrooms; therefore, students with ASD and typically-developing peers are likely to interact throughout the school day. Although research indicates that typically-developing peers play a critical role in supporting successful inclusive experiences for students with ASD, research suggests that elementary and middle school students report limited knowledge and awareness of ASD. Peer education programs have been used to promote and support acceptance of students with ASD in general education settings; however, research on these programs is still emerging. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the Kit for Kids (KfK) program, which is a peer educational program designed by the Organization of Autism Research. Using Grounded Theory methodology, researchers conducted an evaluation of students’ initial impressions of the KfK program as well as suggestions for improving peer education efforts on behalf of students with ASD.

Implementing community-based comprehensive sexuality education with high-risk youth in a conservative environment: lessons learned

Although comprehensive sexuality education programmes have the potential to improve the sexual health and well-being of young people, many socially conservative rural states in the USA have laws and policies restricting school-based comprehensive sexuality education and supporting abstinence-only education. This paper describes the process of building a community-university partnership to implement a community-based comprehensive sexuality education peer education programme for high-risk young people and presents preliminary findings from a longitudinal evaluation. Through purposive recruitment, the sample included 386 young people (mean age) who were more diverse than the local community. Important university-community partnership components included (1) establishing local connections and legitimacy, (2) adapting and tailoring programmes to meet community context, (3) sustainability planning, and (4) flexibility, persistence, and patience. Building community trust and capitalising on the mutual benefits of community-university partnerships are effective methods of building community sexuality education programming in a conservative environment. Tailoring evidence-based approaches to comprehensive sexuality education in a politically restrictive environment shows promise in improving the sexual and reproductive health of young people.

Co-creating a Peer Education program to improve skin health in older people from diverse communities: An innovation in health promotion.

Chronic wounds, debilitating and costly to manage, are more common in older people. Prevention is possible through improving skin health. We developed, implemented and evaluated an innovative health promotion program to improve skin health of older adults. A one-hour, peer education program was co-created and delivered to culturally diverse community-dwelling older people. A mixed-methods evaluation approach comprised objective measures of skin health and barrier function at commencement andsix weeks posteducation, and focus groups posteducation. Seventy-three participants participated in the study (mean age 74.38±11.80years). Hydration significantly improved at follow-up for English speaking participants (t(27)=-2.90, P=0.007). The majority of participants reported the education to be informative and useful in supporting behaviour changes. The peer education program improved skin hydration in older English speaking individuals. Peer education may effectively deliver health promotion information in some groups.

‘Now that I’m pregnant, I’m no longer an example’: peer educator experiences of an HIV prevention programme in Cape Town, South Africa

Despite the popularity of peer education as an HIV prevention strategy across a range of contexts, understanding of the experiences of those intimately placed within these programmes is limited. Instead, the majority of research in this field relies on hegemonic notions of rational human behaviour that operate under the assumption that knowledge leads to sexual behaviour change. This study explored the experience of peer educators and peer facilitators in an HIV prevention peer education programme in Cape Town, South Africa. The empirical analysis draws primarily on the perspectives of four peer educators and four peer facilitators, and was supported by interviews with three NGO management staff. The findings reveal how gendered expectations and identities deeply influence the lives and experiences of the peer educators and peer facilitators. However, the HIV prevention programme also reinforces gender stereotypes and notions of a rational sexual being, rather than creating channels for the emergence of new understandings of gender, power, and sexuality. We conclude with a brief description of future directions for HIV peer education prevention programming based on critical engagement with gender power dynamics and contextualised lived experiences.

Knowledge, attitude and practices of male condom use among male employees, 50 years and older, at a diamond mining company in southern Namibia

The HIV and AIDS pandemic has been characterised as the greatest health and development challenge ever to confront humanity, and is one of the great moral curses of our time. The pandemic has hit sub-Saharan Africa, and Namibia is one of the countries which are badly affected. In Namibia, the focus has been on the population aged 15 to 49 years. Hence, this study looks at older men in terms of it being a neglected population.A descriptive, cross-sectional survey utilizing a quantitative research approach was applied. Data were collected through face-to-face interviewing 105 randomly selected male employees aged 50 years and older. Data were captured in MS Excel and then imported into SPSS version 16.0. The level of statistical significance was set at 0.05.This study revealed that respondents’ knowledge about male condoms appeared to be moderate (52.4%). About 92.4% stated that correct and consistent use of male condoms prevents HIV transmission. A larger percentage (85.1%) of respondents disagreed that older men do not need to learn how to use a condom. A high percentage of respondents suggested that HIV-positive individuals should use condoms every time they have sexual intercourse.Men aged 50 years and older are not at risk of contracting HIV due to lack of knowledge of male condom use. Thus, to minimize the likelihood of HIV infection, targeted interventions including peer education programmes were suggested in order to strengthen the practice and attitudes.

Perceived Program Components of <i>Omotenashi Family Experiences Learning Program</i> in Japan: Qualitative Study of Families of Persons with Mental Disorders

Families need sufficient learning opportunities about mental illness. Therefore, family peer education program has been developed in Japan following the U.S. and Hong Kong. We aimed to identify program components that families recognize which would provide suggestions in modifying the program. We used qualitative and inductive study design. Data were collected through group interviews for six family research participants. We coded the data to focus on relationships between program components, program processes, and impacts. Data Analysis resulted in seven assumptions based on causal relationships and three types of program components: program form, learning style and facilitation skills. The program form is family-led peer group, closed-membership, 5 times per course, and small group. The learning style is combination of textbook and experiential knowledge, family peer learning, and sharing experiences. The facilitation skills are group work focusing on strengths of family members, the acceptance of emotional disclosure, omotenashi, and teamwork skills.

THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF SCHOOL-BASED PEER EDUCATION PROGRAM TOWARDS ADOLESCENT SEXUAL BEHAVIOR: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

The findings of various studies recommend one of the key actions to improve reproductive health is the empowerment of adolescents through educational programs. But there hasn't been a lot of research that shows this quite clearly. The purpose of this review is to positively impact school-based peer education program for adolescent sexual behavior. The method used is the search through databases such as ProQuest, Scopus, through from SpringerLink, ScinceDirect, and JSTOR using keywords. From the results of screening, 7 studies that meet the criteria has been found. The results of the majority review showed that school-based peer education program towards teenagers sexual behavior has showed positive impact. However, although the uniformity of design study has been applied, the number of samples and duration of intervention allows the occurrence of differences result from the study. Article DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.20319/lijhls.2017.31.6981 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

Abstract # OR-16: Diabetes Peer Education Program - Preliminary Results at the Second Year

Abstract # OR-16: Diabetes Peer Education Program - Preliminary Results at the Second Year

Engagement in the HIV care cascade and barriers to antiretroviral therapy uptake among female sex workers in Port Elizabeth, South Africa: findings from a respondent-driven sampling study

BackgroundFemale sex workers (FSWs) are disproportionately affected by HIV, even in the context of broadly generalised HIV epidemics such as South Africa. This has been observed in spite of the...

Preconception Peer Educators' exploratory outreach to the Bahamas: A foundation for an international service learning initiative.

A service learning outreach was undertaken to assess the feasibility of adapting the Preconception Peer Educator (PPE) program to Bahamian youth. By focusing on preconception health, the PPE program is a logical step toward ensuring age sensitive and developmentally appropriate education to improve potential birth outcomes and decrease infant mortality rates (IMR) associated with the complex societal problems on Grand Bahama. Concerned with the prevalence of adolescent pregnancy, lack of social support, depression, and failure to complete high school, a nurse midwife invited PPEs from a School of Nursing to meet with stakeholders to introduce the PPE program to Bahamian youth. Mentored by a faculty advisor, the PPEs assumed a leadership role and determined that the primary needs of Grand Bahamian adolescents were messages of self-empowerment and proactive life planning within a cultural context. Positive responses from stakeholders and the promise of a partnership between a School of Nursing and a Caribbean community encouraged the PPEs to adapt their PPE program to the cultural climate and needs of the island of Grand Bahama. The experience informed students' practice and leadership ability by enhancing cultural awareness and sensitivity, expanding world-views, and instilling an ethic of social responsibility.

Research participants' skills development as HIV prevention peer educators in their communities.

This article describes the influence of a peer education programme on skills development among 22 women participating in HIV prevention trials. Interviews were used to collect data on peer educator experiences and their opinions of the trainings. The training enhanced their agency and confidence to engage their family and community on health promotion, including HIV prevention research procedures, thus improving their self-esteem and communication skills. Training and partnering with clinical trial participants as peer educators is an effective and sustainable community-based approach for HIV prevention.

Promoting Physical Activity And Healthy Snack Choices Among Individuals With Intellectual Disabilities

PURPOSE: Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at higher risk of becoming obese compared to individuals without ID. There is a strong need to promote nutrition and physical activity among this group of people. This study examined a community-based peer education program aimed at promoting daily physical activities and healthy snack choices among adults with intellectual disabilities. METHODS: The program was designed based on a peer education model. Twenty-one individuals (with mild to moderate ID, Male n=11, Mean age=25.4) participated in the study. Participants were matched with undergraduate students enrolled in a Health Behavior and Promotion course from a local liberal arts college. Students led unstructured fitness training sessions (∼45 minutes each meeting) and education lessons twice a week (∼15 minutes each meeting) for eight weeks. The education lessons focused on increasing self-efficacy of participating in lifestyle physical activities and choosing healthy snacks. Less healthy snacks (e.g., different candies, regular soda) and healthier snacks (e.g., fruit, pretzel, diet soda, bottle of water) were provided to participants twice a day during the intervention. Participants were asked to pick one snack each time. At the beginning and the end of the intervention, participants’ daily snack choices (less healthy vs. healthy) and daily steps were recorded for five days. RESULTS: For daily physical activity, steps/hour did not significantly increase, pre step=362/hour, post steps=281/hour, t(13)=1.77, p>.05. As for healthy snack choices, during the pretest week, on average, 41.0% of snack choices were healthy, while at the post-test, this number increased to 54.9%, one tail t test was significant, t(20)=−1.78, p<.05, Cohen’s d =−.40. CONCLUSION: An 8-week peer education program showed promising effects on promoting healthy snack choices among individuals with intellectual dishabilles.The study was funded by SHAPE America Early Career Investigator Grant.

Peer academic detailing on use of antibiotics in acute respiratory tract infections. A controlled study in an urban Norwegian out-of-hours service

Objective: To analyse if peer academic detailing by experienced general practitioners (GPs) could be a useful way to change Medical Doctors, (MDs) prescription of antibiotics for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in out-of-hours service. Method: An educational Intervention study based on prescription data among MDs working in an out-of-hours service from June 2006 through October 2008. Specially trained GPs lectured a peer educational program (3 × 45 minutes) about use of antibiotics for ARTIs according to national recommendations. Outcome measures: The type and frequency of antibiotics prescribed for different ARTIs before and after intervention comparing the intervention group with the control group. Subjects: 22 MDs in the intervention group and 31 MDs in the control group. Results: The intervention group showed an overall statistically significantly absolute increase in the use of penicillin V (Penicillin V) of 9.8% (95% CI: 2.3%–17.4% p < 0.05), and similarly an statistically significantly absolute decrease in the use of macrolides and lincosamides of 8.8% (95% CI: 2.6%–14.9.2% p < 0.05) for all diagnoses. For subgroups of ARTIs we found a significant increase in the use of Penicillin V for acute otitis media, sinusitis, pneumonia and upper ARTIs. There was no significant changes in total prescription rates in the two groups. 41% of all consultations with respiratory tract infections resulted in antibiotic prescription. Conclusions: Using trained GPs to give peer academic detailing to colleagues in combination with open discussion on prescription, showed a significant change in prescription of antibiotics towards national guidelines.Key PointsPhenoxymethylpenicillin is the first choice for the most of respiratory tract infections when indicated.Despite the guidelines for the choice of antibiotics in Norway, general practitioners’ choice often differs from these.We showed that a session of three times 45 min of peer academic detailing changed significantly the choice of antibiotics towards the National Guidelines in an urban Norwegian out-of-hours service.

精神障がい者家族会の組織発展と家族ピア教育プログラム 「家族による家族学習会」 との関連

精神障がい者家族会の組織発展と家族ピア教育プログラム 「家族による家族学習会」 との関連

Modeling a dynamic bi-layer contact network of injection drug users and the spread of blood-borne infections

Injection drug users (IDUs) are at high risk of acquiring and spreading various blood-borne infections including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis B virus (HBV) and a number of sexually transmitted infections. These infections can spread among IDUs via risky sexual and needle-sharing contacts. To accurately model the spread of such contagions among IDUs, we build a bi-layer network that captures both types of risky contacts. We present methodology for inferring important model parameters, such as those governing network structure and dynamics, from readily available data sources (e.g., epidemiological surveys). Such a model can be used to evaluate the efficacy of various programs that aim to combat drug addiction and contain blood-borne diseases among IDUs. The model is especially useful for evaluating interventions that exploit the structure of the contact network. To illustrate, we instantiate a network model with data collected by a needle and syringe program in Chicago. We model sexual and needle-sharing contacts and the consequent spread of HIV and HCV. We use the model to evaluate the potential effects of a peer education (PE) program under different targeting strategies. We show that a targeted PE program would avert significantly more HIV and HCV infections than an untargeted program, highlighting the importance of reaching individuals who are centrally located in contact networks when instituting prevention programs.

Health Promotion Methods for Smoking Prevention and Cessation: A Comprehensive Review of Effectiveness and the Way Forward.

Tobacco smoking is one of the greatest causes of mortality in the world, responsible for over 5 million deaths per annum. The prevalence of smoking is over 1 billion people, with the majority coming from low or middle income countries. Yet, the incidence of smoking varies vastly between many countries. Some countries have been able to decline the smoking and tobacco related morbidity and mortality through the introduction of health promotion initiatives and effective policies in order to combat tobacco usage. However, on the other hand, in some countries, the incidence of smoking is increasing still further. With the growing body of evidence of detriment of tobacco to health, many control policies have been implemented as health promotion actions. Such methods include taxation of smoking, mass advertising campaigns in the media, peer education programs, community mobilization, motivational interviewing, health warnings on tobacco products, marketing restrictions, and banning smoking in public places. However, the review of the effectiveness of various health promotion methods used for smoking prevention and cessation is lacking. Therefore, the aim of this review is to identify and critically review the effectiveness of health promotion methods used for smoking prevention and cessation. All available studies and reports published were considered. Searches were conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, Ovid, Karger, ProQuest, Sage Journals, Science Direct, Springer, Taylor and Francis, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane and Wiley Online Library. Various relevant search terms and keywords were used. After considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we selected 23 articles for the present review.

Addressing adolescents’ risk and protective factors related to risky behaviours: Findings from a school-based peer-education evaluation in the Western Cape

Background: Peer-education programmes aim to bring about attitudinal and behavioural changes in their target audience. In the South African educational context, peer education is a favoured approach in dealing with issues such as HIV and AIDS, sexual decision-making and substance misuse. Given the reliance on peer-education programmes in the educational system, it is important to establish how well they are working. This study aims to assess the effect of an extensive, structured, time-limited, curriculum-based, peer-led educational programme on first-year high school learners in public schools in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Method: The curriculum called ‘Listen Up’ addresses issues such as supporting peers, sexual decision-making, healthy relationships, HIV risk, alcohol misuse and unwanted pregnancy in seven structured sessions. The programme targeted adolescents in Grade 8 growing up in what are considered to be risky environments in public schools in the Western Cape during 2012 and 2013. The intervention was evaluated based on 10 scales sourced from published literature related to the outcome indicators of future orientation, sensation-seeking, self-efficacy in sexual relations, HIV transmission knowledge, HIV prevention knowledge, HIV attitudes, sexual attitudes, decision-making, healthy relationships and social support. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse demographic and community characteristics and analyses of variance were used to detect differences between groups. The surveys were administered to a total of 7709 learners across three waves of the study in 27 peer intervention schools and eight control schools. Results: Immediately post intervention, statistically significant differences were noted for the intervention schools when compared to their baseline levels on measures of future orientation, self-efficacy in sexual relations, knowledge regarding HIV transmission, knowledge regarding HIV prevention and knowledge in terms of healthy relationships. Comparing baseline values with results collected between five and seven months post intervention, statistically significant results were noted for self-efficacy in sexual relations and knowledge regarding HIV transmission. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that peer-education can improve adolescents’ self-efficacy in sexual relations as well as knowledge regarding the transmission of HIV and therefore can contribute to the prevention of HIV transmission among adolescents.

Effect of peer education on the noise management in Iranian neonatal intensive care unit.

Background:Advancements in neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) science and technology have increased the survival rate of preterm infants. Despite these advances, they are still facing with neurobehavioral problems. Noise level in NICU is a potential source of stress for preterm infants. It should be decreased to the standard level as much as possible. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of peer education on the performance of staff in noise management in the NICU.Materials and Methods:A pre-post test quasi-experimental design was used. Fifty-eight staff members (nurses and physicians) participated in this study. Sound pressure levels were measured before and after the intervention. Peer education program formed the intervention. The staff performance in noise management was evaluated before and after the intervention by using a questionnaire. Data analysis was done by using t-test.Results:The results of the study showed that the mean sound level in different environments significantly decreased after the intervention. It reached from 86.7 to 74.9 dB in the center of unit and from 68.2 to 48.50 dB in the infants' bedside (P < 0.0001). The mean score of the staff performance in noise management significantly increased after the intervention, compared to the pre-intervention score. It increased from 74.6 to 83.4 (P < 0.0001).Conclusions:Peer education was found to be successful in noise management because behavioral changes were done to avoid generating unnecessary noise by the staff.

High School Youth Peer Education Program An Effective Model to Prevent Substance Abuse happen?

High School Youth Peer Education Program An Effective Model to Prevent Substance Abuse happen?

Exploring factors related to adoption and continuation of a family peer-education program on mental disorders in psychiatric hospitals: A case study.

Exploring factors related to adoption and continuation of a family peer-education program on mental disorders in psychiatric hospitals: A case study.