The Effect of Peer Education on Diabetes Self-Efficacy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Pay attention to the psychological aspects of diabetic patints, especially self-efficacy, important and can be very usefull in the process of treatment of them. Peer education has many effects in facilitating and creating an environment atmosfere. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of peer education on diabetes self-efficacy.
In this randomized control trial study, 70 diabetic patients who were in Firoozgar hospital in Tehran were recruited using the convenience sampling method. The patients were assigned randomly into two control and intervention groups. Patients in the intervention group were trained by peers during the two sessions, but the patients in the control group received only routine education. Data were collected by demographic questionnaire and diabetes management self-efficacy scale. Patients self efficacy were measured before the education and 2 months after the intervention. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data by SPSS.
Mean diabetic self efficacy in both groups had no statistically significant difference in days of hospitalization (P: 0.2). Also differences in mean diabetic self efficacy between the groups two months after the intervention were statistically significant (P Peer education to patients who are hospitalized, can increase diabetic self efficacy. Therefore, it is recommended that, this educational approach used in ward.