Peer education on sexual diversity in Dutch secondary education: Peer educators’ perceptions of activities and perceived outcomes

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the efficacy of the Peer Education Project (PEP), a school-based, peer-led intervention designed to support secondary school students to develop the skills and knowledge they need to safeguard their mental health and that of their peers. Design/methodology/approach Six schools from across England and the Channel Islands took part in an evaluation of the PEP across the 2016/2017 academic year. In total, 45 trained peer educators from the sixth form and 455 Year 7 students completed pre- and post-questionnaires assessing their emotional and behavioural difficulties, perceived school climate, and knowledge, skills and confidence related to mental health. Findings Results indicate that participation in the PEP is associated with significant improvement in key skills among both peer educators and student trainees, and in understanding of key terms and readiness to support others among trainees. Most students would recommend participation in the programme to other students. Originality/value While peer education has been found to be effective in some areas of health promotion, research on the effectiveness of peer-led mental health education programmes in schools is limited. This study contributes evidence around the efficacy of a new peer education programme that can be implemented in secondary schools.

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Learning outcomes for peer educators: The national survey on peer education

New Directions for Student Services ◽

10.1002/ss.381 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2011 (133) ◽

pp. 17-27 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Matthew R. Wawrzynski ◽

Carl L. LoConte ◽

Emily J. Straker

Keyword(s):

Learning Outcomes ◽

National Survey ◽

Peer Education ◽

Peer Educators

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Effectiveness of Adolescent Peer Education Programs on Reducing HIV/STI Risk: An Integrated Review

Research and Theory for Nursing Practice ◽

10.1891/1541-6577.32.2.168 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 32 (2) ◽

pp. 168-198 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ganga Mahat ◽

Mary Ann Scoloveno

Keyword(s):

Sexual Behavior ◽

Sexual Experience ◽

Peer Education ◽

Qualitative Studies ◽

Peer Educators ◽

Hiv Education ◽

Education Programs ◽

Normative Beliefs ◽

Peer Intervention ◽

Published Research

There is empirical evidence suggesting that peer education is efficacious in changing adolescent sexual risk behaviors; however, it is unclear if there are similarities in outcomes across studies. Thus, the purpose of this review was to synthesize published research on peer-led HIV/STI intervention programs for adolescents in an effort to determine the efficacy of peer education on knowledge, attitudes, normative beliefs, and sexual behavior. Data collection included online searches of published research from Index Medicus (Medline), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), Educational Index, and PsycINFO (including PsycARTICLES) from 2000 to 2016. Twenty-four quantitative and six qualitative studies were included in the review. There appears to be evidence of the effectiveness of adolescent peer-led HIV education programs on knowledge, attitudes, normative beliefs, and self-efficacy. However, the studies reviewed were equivocal on changes in sexual behavior. The findings of the qualitative/process studies demonstrated perceived program efficacy among staff and peer educators. Peer educators and students placed a high value on peer-led programs. Mediators and/or covariates such as culture, gender, sexual experience, and age may impact findings of adolescent peer intervention studies; therefore, these factors need to be considered when implementing and evaluating peer education programs. Peer education should also focus on variables that were gleaned from qualitative studies, such as the role of the community and altruistic roles.

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Using Service Learning As A Method Of Transferring Health Knowledge

Contemporary Issues in Education Research (CIER) ◽

10.19030/cier.v3i5.7709 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (5) ◽

pp. 21 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lana Zinger ◽

Alicia Sinclair

Keyword(s):

High School Students ◽

Service Learning ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Health Knowledge ◽

Peer Education ◽

Peer Educators ◽

School Students ◽

Education Class ◽

Daily Diet ◽

College Now

High school students enrolled in a College Now health education class were taught the importance of regular calcium consumption and then were trained on how to act as peer educators to disseminate the calcium information to their peers. This program empowered students through service learning to choose more dairy in their daily diet. Service learning is defined as education in action where students serve their communities by offering their knowledge, skills and time. As a result of this project, students reported success in applying the knowledge and skills taught by peer educators which helped students translate nutrition education into peer education.

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Peer educators as change leaders – Effectiveness of peer education process in creating awareness on reproductive health among women workers in textile industry

Indian Journal of Community Medicine ◽

10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_6_19 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 44 (3) ◽

pp. 252

Author(s):

Suvetha Kannappan ◽

Karthikeyan Shanmugam

Keyword(s):

Women Workers ◽

Reproductive Health ◽

Textile Industry ◽

Peer Education ◽

Peer Educators ◽

Change Leaders ◽

Education Process

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Peer education, exercising and eating right (PEER): training of peer educators in an undergraduate teaching partnership

The FASEB Journal ◽

10.1096/fasebj.21.6.lb50-c ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

Author(s):

Naiman Khan ◽

Chris Nasti ◽

Ellen Evans ◽

Karen Chapman‐Novakofski

Keyword(s):

Peer Education ◽

Undergraduate Teaching ◽

Peer Educators ◽

Peer Training

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Does peer education go beyond giving reproductive health information? Cohort study in Bulawayo and Mount Darwin, Zimbabwe

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034436 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. e034436

Author(s):

Aveneni Mangombe ◽

Philip Owiti ◽

Bernard Madzima ◽

Sinokuthemba Xaba ◽

Talent M Makoni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Young People ◽

Reproductive Health ◽

Peer Education ◽

Secondary Analysis ◽

Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision ◽

Peer Educators ◽

Medical Male Circumcision ◽

Rural Location ◽

Qualitative Approaches

ObjectivePeer education is an intervention within the voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC)–adolescent sexual reproductive health (ASRH) linkages project in Bulawayo and Mount Darwin, Zimbabwe since 2016. Little is known if results extend beyond increasing knowledge. We therefore assessed the extent of and factors affecting referral by peer educators and receipt of HIV testing services (HTS), contraception, management of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and VMMC services by young people (10–24 years) counselled.DesignA cohort study involving all young people counselled by 95 peer educators during October–December 2018, through secondary analysis of routinely collected data.SettingAll ASRH and VMMC sites in Mt Darwin and Bulawayo.ParticipantsAll young people counselled by 95 peer educators.Outcome measuresCensor date for assessing receipt of services was 31 January 2019. Factors (clients’ age, gender, marital and schooling status, counselling type, location, and peer educators’ age and gender) affecting non-referral and non-receipt of services (dependent variables) were assessed by log-binomial regression. Adjusted relative risks (aRRs) were calculated.ResultsOf the 3370 counselled (66% men), 65% were referred for at least one service. 58% of men were referred for VMMC. Other services had 5%–13% referrals. Non-referral for HTS decreased with clients’ age (aRR: ~0.9) but was higher among group-counselled (aRR: 1.16). Counselling by men (aRR: 0.77) and rural location (aRR: 0.61) reduced risks of non-referral for VMMC, while age increased it (aRR ≥1.59). Receipt of services was high (64%–80%) except for STI referrals (39%). Group counselling and rural location (aRR: ~0.52) and male peer educators (aRR: 0.76) reduced the risk of non-receipt of VMMC. Rural location increased the risk of non-receipt of contraception (aRR: 3.18) while marriage reduced it (aRR: 0.20).ConclusionWe found varying levels of referral ranging from 5.1% (STIs) to 58.3% (VMMC) but high levels of receipt of services. Type of counselling, peer educators’ gender and location affected receipt of services. We recommend qualitative approaches to further understand reasons for non-referrals and non-receipt of services.

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