Determinants of peer education on sexual and reproductive health and rights among in-school adolescents in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Peer education has contributed to increased knowledge and preventive behaviors of adolescents toward reproductive health matters with the unique feature of maintaining peer-to-peer learning ability and sustaining intervention gains. This study examined the factors that predict the agency of in-school adolescents as peer educators on the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of adolescents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 257 adolescent boys and girls, purposively selected from six public secondary schools that had received a package of interventions that aimed to improve peer-to-peer education on SRHR in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. Data were collected using a pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. The level of statistical significance was determined at a P value < 0.05 and a 95% confidence limit. RESULTS: Almost all the students (98.05%) believed that adolescents need information on SRHR, which should be provided in the schools; however, 66.93% had ever shared information with their peers on the SRHR. The predictors of the practice of peer education on SRHR include being in senior secondary (adjusted odds ratios (AOR) =2.889, P = 0.026), participation in SRHR campaigns (AOR = 6.139, P = 0.005), receiving information, education and communication materials (AOR = 0.266, P = 0.042), and discussing SRH matter with adult family members (AOR = 2.567, P = 0.026). CONCLUSION: The practice of peer education among adolescents was determined by their level in school, availability of support structures such as parent-child communication, and program-related factors. Therefore, public health initiatives should prioritize these factors to strengthen adolescents' agency as peer educators on the SRHR of young people.

The Effectiveness of Interventions Targeting Adolescents in HPV Vaccination-A Scoping Review.

Adolescents are the target group for HPV vaccination. Studies that examine factors influencing acceptability among adolescents and interventions aimed at improving knowledge, attitudes, perceptions, intentions, and, most importantly, vaccination rates are less common than those addressing parents or healthcare professionals. The specialized literature was searched for studies evaluating the impact of various interventions on adolescents. In the final analysis, 41 studies were included (35 original studies and 6 reviews). Educational interventions increased adolescents' knowledge scores in the selected studies. Peer education proved highly effective in rapidly and significantly improving knowledge about HPV. Additionally, multicomponent interventions generated awareness and knowledge that persisted for months after the interventions. HPV vaccine uptake increased following educational interventions in 11 out of the 14 studies that evaluated this outcome; studies presenting multicomponent interventions also proved effective in improving vaccination rates. Higher HPV vaccine series completion was reported following a reminder system strategy. Interventions directed at adolescents, combined with strategies involving parents and healthcare professionals, can play an important role in improving HPV vaccination rates. Educated adolescents must be involved in decisions about their own health and can be a valuable source of information for their peers and parents.

A case-controlled trial evaluating the summative performance of the 3-D skills Model.

BACKGROUND: Near-peer teaching is a popular pedagogical teaching tool however many existing models fail to demonstrate benefits in summative OSCE performance. The 3-step deconstructed (3-D)skills near-peer model was recently piloted in undergraduate medicine showing short term improvement in formative OSCE performance utilising social constructivist educational principles. This study aims to assess if 3-D skills model teaching affects summative OSCE grades. METHODS: Seventy-nine third year medical students attended a formative OSCE event at the University of Glasgow receiving an additional 3-minutes per station of either 3-D skills teaching or time-equivalent unguided practice. Students' summative OSCE results were compared against the year cohort to establish whether there was any difference in time delayed summative OSCE performance. RESULTS: 3-D skills and unguided practice cohorts had comparable demographical data and baseline formative OSCE performance. Both the 3-D skill cohort and unguided practice cohort achieved significantly higher median station pass rates at summative OSCEs than the rest of the year. This correlated to one additional station pass in the 3-D skills cohort, which would increase median grade banding from B to A. The improvement in the unguided practice cohort did not achieve educational significance. CONCLUSION: Incorporating the 3-D skills model into a formative OSCE is associated with significantly improved performance at summative OSCEs. This expands on the conflicting literature for formative OSCE sessions which have shown mixed translation to summative performance and suggests merit in institutional investment to improve clinical examination skills.

Dyadic concordance and other considerations for matching pairs for peer support diabetes prevention interventions: A mixed methods assessment.

OBJECTIVES: Dyadic peer support helps patients make health behavior changes for improved outcomes, yet the impact of matching dyads on demographic characteristics such as race or gender is unknown. Therefore, we investigated associations of concordant characteristics with peer outcomes in a diabetes prevention intervention and qualitatively examined participant perspectives on matching. METHODS: Binary variables for peer-supporter concordance on 6 demographic characteristics were created for 177 peers and 69 supporters. Regression models compared changes in weight, HbA1c, perceived social support, patient activation, and formal diabetes prevention/education program participation for concordant and non-concordant dyads. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 39 peers and 34 supporters. RESULTS: Concordance on demographic characteristics was not significantly associated with outcomes. Qualitatively, peers and supporters emphasized that more important than shared demographic characteristics was a supporter's empathic, non-judgmental communication style. CONCLUSIONS: Demographic characteristics for matching supporters with adults with prediabetes are less important than ensuring high-quality coach training in goal setting and communication style, supporting prior research on the necessity of autonomy supportive communication for effective behavioral change interventions. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Existing peer support programs should incorporate fidelity assessments into practice to ensure peer supporter skill in motivational interviewing-based, autonomy supportive communication and brief goal setting.

Peer Education as a Tool to Improve Health Knowledge for People Who Are Incarcerated: A Secondary Analysis of Data From the Indiana Peer Education Program ECHO.

Considerable health inequities occur among people who are incarcerated, with ripple effects into broader community health. The Indiana Peer Education Program uses the Extension for Community Health Outcomes (ECHO) model to train people who are incarcerated as peer health educators. This analysis sought to evaluate the effectiveness of this program and explore emergent themes not covered in survey instruments. Survey data for both peer educators and their students were assessed using multivariate regression. Qualitative data were used to triangulate survey findings and explore additional themes via thematic analysis. Students showed improvements in knowledge scores and postrelease behavior intentions; peer educators improved in knowledge, health attitudes, and self-efficacy. Qualitative data affirmed survey findings and pointed toward peer educators acquiring expertise in the content they teach, and how to teach it, and that positive results likely expand beyond participants to others in prison, their families, and the communities to which they return. Though preliminary, the results confirm an earlier analysis of the New Mexico Peer Education Program ECHO, adding to the evidence that training individuals who are incarcerated as peer educators on relevant public health topics increases health knowledge and behavior intentions and likely results in improvements in personal and public health outcomes.

Effect of peer education on knowledge and frequency of smoking among high school students in disadvantaged districts: A quasi-experimental study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of peer education on changing the knowledge and frequency of smoking of high school students. METHODS: The quasi-experimental study was conducted at the Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, Turkey, during the 2021-22 academic year, and comprised students of either gender from the 9th to the 11th grade. After baseline assessment, training that blended peer education with the photovoice technique was administered between March 2021 and January 2022. Post-intervention assessment included smoking frequency, cigarette exposure and health literacy. Data was analysed using R version 4.0.5. RESULTS: Of the 465 students available, 395(84.95%) were part of the baseline assessment, while 434(93.3%) took the postintervention assessment. At the baseline, 365(93.8%) participants were males and 24(6.2%) were femaes. The overall median age was 15 years (interquartile range: 15-16 years). Post-training, smoking rate and indoor exposure to cigarette smoke among the students were statistically lower than the baseline values (p<0.05). The mean health literacy score postintervention was significantly higher than the baseline score (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Photovoice combined with peer education seemed beneficial in terms of positive effect on smoking behaviour among youths.

Evaluating the impact of a peer-education digital literacy course on older adults' digital skills and wellbeing: a mixed-methods study protocol.

The digital transition poses relevant challenges and opportunities for older adults in aging European societies. To unleash the potential of the digital transition in old age and avoid the risk of exclusion, digital education for older adults seems to be a valuable solution. One of the most suitable approaches to digital education for older adults appears to be the peer-to-peer approach. However, not much literature is available on this topic. Within the ACTIVE-IT project, we aimed to design, implement, and evaluate a digital peer education course for older adults, focusing specifically on the use of smartphones and daily utility apps, such as mailing, e-Gov, and e-commerce. The purpose of this contribution is to document the protocol adopted to evaluate the course. The course involved 32 participants aged 65 or older, who, between March 2024 and June 2024, divided into three groups, attended a 10-lesson weekly course taught by a peer. We aim to measure the effect of the course on participants' digital skills and their perceived wellbeing. To do so, we will adopt a mixed methods approach, employing: digital methods by collecting and analyzing data on participants' smartphone use (i.e., log data on smartphone use before/during/after the intervention); a quasi-experiment, collecting information on course participants' wellbeing before/after the course attendance using a questionnaire survey; ethnographic observation conducted during the course, observing interactions between subjects during the course. The study has been approved by the Ethic Committee of the University of Milano Bicocca (prot.nr. 167541/2024).

Changes in risk behaviour following a network peer education intervention for HIV prevention among male Tajik migrants who inject drugs in Moscow: a cluster-randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: The "Migrants' Approached Self-Learning Intervention in HIV/AIDS for Tajiks" (MASLIHAT) recruits and trains Tajik labour migrants who inject drugs as peer educators (PEs) in delivering HIV prevention information and encouragement to adopt risk-reduction norms and practices within their diaspora social networks while reducing their own HIV risk. METHODS: The MASLIHAT intervention was tested in Moscow in a cluster-randomized controlled trial with 12 recruitment sites assigned to either the MASLIHAT intervention or an equal-time peer-educator training focused on other health conditions (TANSIHAT). From October 2021 to April 2022, 140 male Tajik migrants who inject drugs were recruited as PEs to attend the 5-session MASLIHAT training or the TANSIHAT non-HIV comparison condition. Each participant in both groups recruited two network members (NMs) who inject drugs with the intent to share with them the information and positive strategies for change they had learned (n = 280). All PEs and NMs (n = 420) participated in baseline and follow-up interviews at 3-month intervals for 1 year. All received HIV counselling and testing. Modified mixed effects Poisson regressions tested for group differences in injection practices, sexual risk behaviours and heavy alcohol use over time. RESULTS: At baseline, across both groups, 75% of participants reported receptive syringe sharing (RSS), 42% reported condomless sex and 20% reported binge drinking at least once a month. In contrast to TANSIHAT where HIV risk behaviours remained the same, significant intervention effects that were sustained over the 12 months were observed for receptive syringe and ancillary equipment sharing among both MASLIHAT PEs and NMs (p < 0.0001). Significant declines in the prevalence of sexual risk behaviours were also associated with the MASLIHAT intervention (p < 0.01), but not the comparison condition. Binge alcohol use was not affected in either condition; the MASLIHAT intervention had a transitory effect on drinking frequency that dissipated after 9 months. CONCLUSIONS: The MASLIHAT peer-education intervention proved highly effective in reducing HIV-related injection risk behaviour, and moderately effective in reducing sexual risk behaviour among both PEs and NMs. Network-based peer education is an important tool for HIV prevention among people who inject drugs, especially in environments that are not amenable to community-based harm reduction.

Effect of Enterostomal Therapist-Led Visual Health Education Combined with Peer Education on the Self-Nursing Ability, Quality of Life and Peristomial Complications in Patients with a Permanent Colostomy.

Objective: This study aimed to analyse the impact of enterostomal therapist-led visual health education combined with peer education on the postoperative self-nursing ability, quality of life and peristomial complications in patients with a permanent colostomy. Methods: Patients with a permanent colostomy admitted to Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University between March 2021 and March 2023 were selected and divided into the study group (60 patients) and the control group (60 patients). Enterostomal therapist-led visual health education combined with peer education was adopted in the study group, and regular education was adopted in the control group. The clinical effects between the two groups were compared. Results: Repeated measurement analysis of variance showed that the two educational methods had different effects on the quality of life (Ftreatment = 342.734, p < 0.001), self-nursing ability (Ftreatment = 256.321, p < 0.001), adaptability (Ftreatment = 321.734, p < 0.001) of patients with a permanent colostomy. After the 3-month intervention, the differences in all aspects of the quality of life, self-nursing ability and adaptability between the two groups were statistically significant, and the score of the study group was higher than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the study group had a lower incidence of the five complications (p < 0.05) and higher nursing satisfaction (Z = -2.968, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Enterostomal therapist-led visual health education combined with peer education can improve the quality of life of patients with a permanent colostomy, improve their positive mood, reduce their negative mood, improve their adaptability to the stoma, reduce complications and improve their daily living conditions. In the future, the clinical application of visual health education and peer education in patients with permanent colostomy should be increased.

Peer education as a strategy to promote vaccine acceptance: A randomized controlled trial within New York community healthcare practices.

BACKGROUND: Effective strategies are needed to improve vaccine acceptance. This study sought to determine if a peer-led vaccine education intervention embedded within community medical practices increases parental acceptance of pediatric pneumococcal conjugate vaccination. METHODS: From March 2022-July 2023, we conducted a randomized trial at three pediatric health practices in predominantly Hasidic Jewish neighborhoods in New York, where vaccine deferral is common. Parents of children up to 18 months due/overdue for routine pneumococcal vaccination were randomized (1:1) to receive routine care alone or routine care plus a peer educational intervention. Peer educators trained in motivational interviewing and vaccine science provided counseling at enrollment and follow-up telephone engagement in the intervention arm at day 30 and 60. Primary outcome was child's pneumococcal immunization status by allocation arm expressed as at least one dose received between enrollment and 90 days post-enrollment. RESULTS: 144 parent-child dyads were eligible for outcome analysis. Participants in the group receiving routine care along with peer-led vaccine counseling were significantly more likely to have their child receive at least 1 vaccine dose between enrollment and 90 days compared to the group who received routine care alone (28.4 % vs 12.9 %, risk ratio [RR] 2.21, confidence interval [CI] 1.09-4.49, p = 0.022). The effect of peer education was greatest in dyads with children less than 1 year old at enrollment (34 % vs 12.7 %, RR 2.67, CI (1.22-5.86), p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Peer vaccine education can increase vaccine acceptance compared to routine care alone and may be particularly valuable in decreasing vaccination delays for younger infants. (Funded by EGL Charitable Foundation, ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05875779).

The Development of a Text Messaging Platform to Enhance a Youth Diabetes Prevention Program: Observational Process Study.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 1 in 5 adolescents in the United States has prediabetes, and racially and ethnically minoritized youths are disproportionately impacted. Unfortunately, there are few effective youth diabetes prevention programs, and in-person interventions are challenging because of barriers to access and engagement. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to develop and assess the preliminary feasibility and acceptability of a youth-informed SMS text messaging platform to provide additional support and motivation to adolescents with prediabetes participating in a diabetes prevention workshop in East Harlem, New York City, New York, United States. We collaborated with our youth action board and a technology partner (mPulse Mobile) to develop and pilot-test the novel interactive platform. METHODS: The technology subcommittee of our community action board (comprising youths and young adults) used the results from focus groups that we had previously conducted with youths from our community to develop 5 message types focused on healthy eating and active living: goal setting, behavior tracking, individually tailored guidance, motivational messages, and photo diary. We used an iterative process to develop and pilot the program with our internal study team, including youths from our community action board and mPulse Mobile developers. We then conducted a pilot of the 12-week SMS text messaging program with 13 youths with prediabetes. RESULTS: Participants (aged 15-21 years; 10/13, 77% female; 3/10, 23% Black and 10/13, 77% Hispanic or Latinx) received an average of 2 automated messages per day. The system correctly sent 84% (2231/2656) of the messages at the time intended; the remaining 16% (425/2656) of the messages were either sent at the incorrect time, or the system did not recognize a participant response to provide the appropriate reply. The level of engagement with the program ranged from 1 (little to no response) to 5 (highly responsive) based on how frequently participants responded to the interactive (2-way) messages. Highly responsive participants (6/13, 46%) responded >75% (1154/1538) of the time to interactive messages sent over 12 weeks, and 69% (9/13) of the participants were still engaged with the program at week 12. During a focus group conducted after program completion, the participants remarked that the message frequency was appropriate, and those who had participated in our in-person workshops reflected that the messages were reminiscent of the workshop content. Participants rated goal setting, behavior tracking, and tailored messages most highly and informed planned adaptations to the platform. Participants described the program as: "interactive, informative, enjoyable, very convenient, reliable, motivational, productive, and reflective." CONCLUSIONS: We partnered with youths in the initial content development and pilot testing of a novel SMS text messaging platform to support diabetes prevention. This study is unique in the triple partnership we formed among researchers, technology experts, and diverse youths to develop a mobile health platform to address diabetes-related disparities.

Implementation and evaluation of an interprofessional prescription writing workshop with a simulated electronic prescribing activity for preclerkship medical students.

BACKGROUND: Prescription writing skills are essential for physician practice. This study describes the development and implementation of a curricular intervention focused on improving the knowledge and confidence of preclerkship medical students' prescription writing practices utilizing an interprofessional education model, with a focus on electronic prescribing. METHODS: Medicine and Pharmacy Faculty from a large, urban university collaborated to develop the content of the workshop and a simulation platform was used for the e-prescribing activity. Second-year medical students attended a mandatory in-person workshop facilitated by fourth-year pharmacy students. A pre and post knowledge test and confidence survey were used to assess students' knowledge, confidence, and satisfaction. Outcomes from the knowledge test were evaluated with paired-samples proportions tests, and confidence survey data was evaluated with paired t-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests in a pre-post study design. RESULTS: Students demonstrated a significant increase in prescription writing knowledge and confidence after completing the workshop. On the pre-test, 7% of students (21/284) completed the electronic prescribing assessment correctly and 51% of students (149/295) completed it correctly on the post-test. All items on the confidence survey showed a significant increase in pre- versus post-survey comparisons (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This interprofessional prescription writing workshop facilitated by pharmacy students shows promise for improving the knowledge and confidence of prescription writing and electronic prescribing practices in preclerkship medical students.

Improving adolescents' HIV/AIDS prevention behavior: A phenomenological study of the experience of planning generation program (GenRe) ambassadors as peer educators.

Background: Adolescents face increased vulnerability to HIV/AIDS due to factors such as insufficient knowledge and awareness, stigma, and restricted access to information. The Indonesian government initiated a peer education program through the Planning Generation Program (GenRe) ambassadors. These ambassadors are tasked with educating their peers about HIV/AIDS. However, their experiences are largely underexplored. Objective: This study aimed to explore the GenRe ambassadors' experience in improving adolescents' HIV/AIDS prevention behavior. Methods: This study employed a qualitative phenomenological approach, with in-depth and semi-structured interviews of GenRe ambassadors who had served for at least three to six months within the South Jakarta Health Sub-Department, Indonesia. Purposive sampling and data saturation techniques were utilized. Data were collected from 13 May to 31 August 2022, and Colaizzi's steps were used to guide the data analysis. Results: Nineteen GenRe ambassadors participated, predominantly female university students ages 18-22. Six themes were developed: 1) the impact of GenRe ambassadors' roles in improving HIV/AIDS prevention behavior, 2) activities to improve HIV/AIDS prevention behavior, 3) enhancement of self-concept as GenRe ambassadors, 4) obstacles to activities for improving HIV/AIDS prevention behavior, 5) support for activities to improve HIV/AIDS prevention behavior, and 6) hope for improving the GenRe ambassador program's implementation. Conclusion: GenRe ambassadors are influencers who play a critical role in promoting HIV/AIDS prevention behaviors and fostering positive change in the broader youth community. Despite their positive self-concept, they encounter challenges in fulfilling their roles. Utilizing their insights, community health nurses can create effective peer-led HIV/AIDS prevention programs and contribute to a model of health promotion for adolescents. Leveraging the role of GenRe ambassadors as peer educators is recommended to enhance HIV/AIDS prevention efforts among adolescents.

Peer education program to improve fluid consumption in primary schools-lessons learned from an innovative pilot study.

Background: Although it is widely recognized that more attention needs to be paid to children's fluid intake, there is little information on how to improve it. Peer education has been suggested as an effective approach to changing health behaviors among school children. As a new approach, our study piloted a peer education program to improve children's fluid intake in primary schools. Methods: University students were prepared for their role as peer educators in an elective university course, including the concept of peer education and different pedagogical methods. The peer educators evaluated the training process by completing a questionnaire. The intervention took place during a School Health Day led by the peer educators. An anonymous survey with a questionnaire on knowledge of fluid intake was administered two weeks before, at the end of, and 15 weeks after the intervention. Changes in hydration knowledge were tested using repeated measures ANOVA. Results: The pilot program showed increased knowledge about fluid consumption (p < 0.001) in lower and upper primary school children (N = 326) at the end of the School Health Day compared to pre-intervention measures. A positive change was observed after 15 weeks only in upper primary students. Feedback from peer educators was useful for fine-tuning the program. Conclusions: This innovative program induced positive changes in knowledge about fluid intake in primary school children. The persistence of the changes differed between lower and upper primary school children. Based on the results, the intervention should be replicated to adapt the program to the needs of lower primary school children. Because the training of peer educators and the peer education program appeared to be successful, this program is worthy of international replication. This approach may also be suggested for other behavior change issues.

Enhancing Quality of Life in African American Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease: An Evidence-Based Intervention.

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of achronic kidney disease (CKD) peer coach's educational intervention on the quality of life of African-American individuals with CKD. This study employed an experimental research design to assess a peer coaching educational intervention for African-American individuals with CKD. The theoretical underpinning was grounded in social learning theory, emphasizing observational learning, imitation, and modeling. 165 patients were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n = 81) or the control group (n = 84). Pre- and post-intervention analyses showed no significant differences in most health measures between the two groups. However, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvement in the energy/fatigue subscale, witha16-point difference supporting the intervention group (p = .003). Additionally, the intervention group showed increased scores in the pain subscale (p = .015), while the control group did not. The CKD educational intervention highlighted cultural considerations and provided cost-effective strategies for social workers. It emphasizes the importance of targeted educational interventions and calls for further research and interventions to address the comprehensive needs of CKD patients and improve their quality of life.

Tuakana-teina peer education programme to help Maori elders enhance wellbeing and social connectedness.

BACKGROUND: There are significant inequities between Maori (Indigenous people) and non-Maori in ageing outcomes. This study used a strengths-based approach based on the key cultural concept of mana motuhake (autonomy and self-actualisation) to develop a tuakana-teina (literally older sibling-younger sibling) peer education programme to assist kaumatua (elders) in addressing health and social needs. The purpose of this study was to test the impact on those receiving the programme. Three aims identify the impact on outcomes, resources received and the cost effectiveness of the programme. METHODS: Five Kaupapa Maori (research and services guided by Maori worldviews) iwi (tribe) and community providers implemented the project using a partnership approach. Tuakana (peer educators) had up to six conversations each with up to six teina (peer learners) and shared information related to social and health services. A pre- and post-test, clustered staggered design was the research design. Participants completed a baseline and post-programme assessment of health and mana motuhake measures consistent with Maori worldviews. Open-ended questions on the assessments, five focus groups, and four individual interviews were used for qualitative evaluation. FINDINGS: A total of 113 kaumatua were recruited, and 86 completed the programme. The analysis revealed improvements in health-related quality of life, needing more help with daily tasks, life satisfaction, paying bills and housing problems. Qualitative results supported impacts of the programme on mana motuhake and hauora (holistic health) through providing intangible and tangible resources. Cost-effectiveness analysis showed that the intervention is cost effective, with a cost per QALY of less than the conventional threshold of three times GDP per capita. CONCLUSIONS: A culturally-resonant, strengths-based programme developed through a participatory approach can significantly improve health and social outcomes in a cost-effective way. TRIAL REGISTRY: Clinical trial registry: Trial registration: (ACTRN12620000316909). Prospectively registered 06/03/2020, https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=379302&isClinicalTrial=False .

The Effect of a Video-Assisted Health Education Program Followed by Peer Education on the Health Literacy of COVID-19 and Other Infectious Diseases Among School Children: Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: To improve the engagement and effectiveness of traditional health programs, it is necessary to explore alternative models of health education including video-assisted lectures and peer education. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a combination of video-assisted lectures and peer education on health literacy related to infectious diseases among students. METHODS: Third-grade classes from 11 pilot schools in Longgang District of Shenzhen, China, were randomized to the intervention and control groups. In the intervention group, a video-assisted interactive health education program was conducted twice over a time span of 5 months. Each of the 2 sessions included a 40-minute lecture on COVID-19 and other common infectious diseases in schools and a 5-minute science video. In addition, 5 "little health supervisors" at the end of the first session were elected in each class, who were responsible for helping class members to learn health knowledge and develop good hygiene habits. Students answered the same quiz before the first and after the second session. Models based on item response theory (IRT) were constructed to score the students' knowledge of infectious diseases based on the quiz. RESULTS: In total, 52 classes and 2526 students (intervention group: n=1311; control group: n=1215) were enrolled. Responses of the baseline survey were available for 2177 (86.2%; intervention group: n=1306; control group: n=871) students and those of the postintervention survey were available for 1862 (73.7%; intervention group: n=1187; control group: n=675). There were significant cross-group differences in the rates of correctly answering questions about influenza symptoms, transmission, and preventive measures; chicken pox symptoms; norovirus diarrhea symptoms; mumps symptoms; and COVID-19 symptoms. Average IRT scores of questions related to infectious diseases in the intervention and control groups were, respectively, -0.0375 (SD 0.7784) and 0.0477 (SD 0.7481) before the intervention (P=.01), suggesting better baseline knowledge in the control group. After the intervention, the average scores of the intervention and control groups were 0.0543 (SD 0.7569) and -0.1115 (SD 0.7307), respectively (P<.001), suggesting not only significantly better scores but also greater improvement in the intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: After the health education project, the correct answer rate of infectious disease questions in the intervention group was higher than that of the control group, which indicates significant effects of the combination of video-assisted lectures and peer education for the promotion of health literacy. In addition, the intervention effect of the first session persisted for at least 4 months up to the second session. As such, the proposed program was effective in improving the health literacy of school children in relation to infectious diseases and should be considered for massive health promotion campaigns during pandemics. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN ISRCTN49297995; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN49297995.

Overall, Direct, Spillover, and Composite Effects of Components of a Peer-Driven Intervention Package on Injection Risk Behavior Among People Who Inject Drugs in the HPTN 037 Study.

We sought to disentangle effects of the components of a peer-education intervention on self-reported injection risk behaviors among people who inject drugs (n = 560) in Philadelphia, US. We examined 226 egocentric groups/networks randomized to receive (or not) the intervention. Peer-education training consisted of two components delivered to the intervention network index individual only: (1) an initial training and (2) "booster" training sessions during 6- and 12-month follow up visits. In this secondary data analysis, using inverse-probability-weighted log-binomial mixed effects models, we estimated the effects of the components of the network-level peer-education intervention upon subsequent risk behaviors. This included contrasting outcome rates if a participant is a network member [non-index] under the network exposure versus under the network control condition (i.e., spillover effects). We found that compared to control networks, among intervention networks, the overall rates of injection risk behaviors were lower in both those recently exposed (i.e., at the prior visit) to a booster (rate ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.61 [0.46-0.82]) and those not recently exposed to it (0.81 [0.67-0.98]). Only the boosters had statistically significant spillover effects (e.g., 0.59 [0.41-0.86] for recent exposure). Thus, both intervention components reduced injection risk behaviors with evidence of spillover effects for the boosters. Spillover should be assessed for an intervention that has an observable behavioral measure. Efforts to fully understand the impact of peer education should include routine evaluation of spillover effects. To maximize impact, boosters can be provided along with strategies to recruit especially committed peer educators and to increase attendance at trainings. Clinical Trials Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00038688 June 5, 2002.

RESUMEN: Intentamos desenmarañar los efectos de los componentes de una intervención de educación entre pares sobre los comportamientos de inyección de riesgo autorreportados entre personas que se inyectan drogas (n = 560; 226 grupos/redes egocéntricos(as)) aleatorizados(as) a recibir (o no) la intervención en Filadelfia, EUA. Dos componentes fueron administrados a índices de redes de intervención: una capacitación inicial y sesiones de "refuerzo" durante visitas de seguimiento. Usando modelos log-binomial de efectos mixtos ponderados por probabilidad inversa, estimamos los efectos de dichos componentes sobre los comportamientos de riesgo posteriores. Encontramos que en comparación con las redes control, en las redes de intervención, las tasas generales de comportamientos de inyección de riesgo fueron más bajas en ambas aquellas expuestas recientemente a un refuerzo (razón de tasas [intervalo de confianza del 95%]: 0.61 [0.46­0.82]) y aquellas no expuestas recientemente (0.81 [0.67­0.98]). Solamente los refuerzos tuvieron efectos derrame (i.e., contraste de las tasas de resultados si es miembro [no índice] de una red en una red con exposición reciente versus bajo la condición control) significativos (p. ej., 0.59 [0.41­0.86] para la exposición reciente).

Monday-Enhanced CEASE Program for Underserved Ethnic Minorities: a Mixed-Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Due to the persistence of tobacco-related health disparities in the U.S., there is a need for innovative strategies to reach the underserved ethnic minority populations who are most at risk. As contemplations for health behavior modification tend to surge on Mondays, we explored the feasibility and effect of a Monday-enhanced smoking cessation program on quitting outcomes in a low-income ethnic minority community. AIMS: To compare a Monday-enhanced with a standard Communities Engaged and Advocating for a Smoke-free Environment (CEASE) program and understand the overall experiences of participants in the program. METHODS: In this mixed-methods study, affordable housing complexes (n = 4) and a church were randomly assigned either a Monday-enhanced (n = 3) or standard (n = 2) CEASE smoking cessation program. CEASE comprised twelve weekly group counseling sessions facilitated by trained peer motivators plus nicotine replacement products. Participants in the Monday-enhanced arm were encouraged to pick Mondays as a quitting day. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected during the program and at 3-month post-graduation. RESULTS: Seventy-seven participants were enrolled in the study arms. In both groups combined, tobacco consumption reduced from 7.7 to 5.6 cig/day (mean reduction, 2.1; 95% CI: 0.9 to 5.1, p = 0.08). Although no significant difference in quit rate was observed between the two arms, more participants completed the follow-up survey in the Monday-enhanced than standard CEASE program [82.4% vs. 36.0%, p < 0.05]. While qualitative data suggested an overall satisfaction of participants with the program, motivation for quitting was higher in the Monday-enhanced CEASE program compared to the standard CEASE program. CONCLUSION: The Monday-enhanced program is promising and may enhance participants' engagement and willingness to quit smoking, particularly in low-income ethnic minority communities. Further research should include larger sample sizes to better assess the efficacy of a Monday-enhanced program across diverse populations.

Peer education model in Trakya university faculty of medicine.

BACKGROUND: Peer education is an education model applied to change knowledge, behavior, and attitude in groups equal to each other regarding age, education, and status. This model is preferred in universities to improve teaching skills and reduce the stress level of students. This study aims to apply the peer education model at Trakya University Faculty of Medicine to receive feedback from students and to examine its effect on exam results. METHODS: This cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study was conducted with second-year medical students in parasitology laboratory lessons. Eighteen out of a total of 264 students were selected as peer educators. Peer educators have reached the level of providing education to students by taking the training before the laboratory lessons. At the end of the study, questionnaires were applied to peer educators and students. The students' of 2021-2022 exam results were compared with the 2018-2019 academic year results. RESULTS: A total of 233 students were surveyed, and 78.5% (183/233) of them believe peer education is helpful, 69.9% (163/233) think it can help them reinforce what they have learned in theoretical lessons, 54.5% (127/233) think it should be used in other practical lessons, and 64.3% think it should be used in the coming years. While there was no significant difference between the exam results of the students in 2021-2022 and the 2018-2019 period (p: 0.462), a significant difference was found between the exam results of peer educators and students (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It is known that with the peer education model, student stress will decrease, and interest and participation in the lesson will increase. Continuing this education model in the coming years and expanding it to other laboratory courses will benefit medical education.