Effect of Peer Education on Puberty Knowledge and Practice in Girls

Background and purpose: Puberty is one of the most critical stages in the life of every girl in adolescence. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of peer education on girls' knowledge and practice about puberty. Materials and methods: In this semi-experimental study, 10 eighth-grade classes were selected from ten high schools in Shahroud, Iran 2018, using multi-stage sampling. Random assignment of schools to two groups of control and intervention was done. A total of 217 students enrolled in this research. Demographic characteristics were recorded and students completed a researcher-made questionnaire on puberty before, immediately after, and one month after the intervention. The intervention group received peer education on puberty by trained individuals for one month. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The alpha level of 0.05 was considered significant. Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in the mean scores for knowledge and practice before the intervention (P= 0.17). The mean scores of knowledge and practice in intervention group were 28.18±3.85 and 121.59±10.32 immediately after the intervention, and 31.91±3.69 and 130.37±8.07 one month after the intervention, respectively which were significantly higher than those of the control group (P= 0.001). Conclusion: Collaborative nature of peer education makes it an appropriate choice for educating puberty issues to adolescents.   (Clinical Trials Registry Number: IRCT20180209038675N1)