The effect of peer education compared to education provided by healthcare providers on premenstrual syndrome in high school students: A social network‐based quasi‐experimental controlled trial

Abstract

Abstract Aim This study aimed to compare the effect of peer education and education provided by healthcare providers on PMS in high school students. Materials and Methods This quasi‐experimental non‐randomized controlled trial with a three‐armed parallel design was performed on 90 students allocated in three groups, namely, education by peer (intervention group 1 = 30), education by a healthcare provider (intervention group 2 = 30), and a control group (n = 30). The primary outcome was a change in the score of PMS, and the secondary outcomes were changes in the general health score and the frequency of premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). Education about PMS management was held in WhatsApp messenger in six sessions (two sessions per week) for both intervention groups. All three groups received routine school counseling. The researchers applied repeated‐measures ANCOVA, McNemar, and post‐hoc Bonferroni tests. Results Education in intervention group 1 (Partial Eta Squared = 0.67, p 0.05). Conclusion This study suggests education by peers and healthcare providers effects on PMS and general health in adolescents. It suggested that the effectiveness of these approaches be investigated in other adolescents' health conditions.

Keywords

• adolescent
• education
• healthcare providers
• Peer group
• premenstrual syndrome