The effect of peer education intervention on consumption of fruits and vegetables in housewives

The consumption of fruits and vegetables is lower than the recommended level, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of educational intervention by peers on the consumption of fruits and vegetables in housewives. The current semi-experimental study was conducted on housewives living in Morvarid and Fajr towns in Bandar Abbas, Iran. In each of the intervention and the control groups, 65 subjects were recruited. Samples were taken randomly from the files at the health center of the towns. Data were collected using a questionnaire. Data were collected using a questionnaire in two stages (before and two months after the intervention). The training was conducted on the importance and benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption by the peers and for one month in the intervention group. Data were analyzed by SPSS software and inferential statistics. There was no significant difference in pre-intervention assessment between the intervention and control groups in terms of the evaluated variables, however, the post-intervention assessments showed a significant increase in the scores of benefits and self-efficacy of fruits and vegetables consumption and a significant decrease in the scores of the perceived barriers to fruits and vegetables consumption in the intervention group compared to the control group (P <0.001). Also, the number of fruits and vegetables daily intake unit in the intervention group increased from 1.73 to 4.20 and in the control group from 1.96 to 2.16; a statistically significant difference was also observed in this regard between the groups (P <0.001). Peer education improves benefits and self-efficacy, reduces barriers, and increases the daily intake of fruits and vegetables in housewives.