Effect of Peers Group on the Self-Efficacy among Adolescents with Thalassemia: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Background and Objective: Thalassemia major affects various facets of adolescents' lives. The enhancement of self-efficacy through peer education can help adolescents better manage their condition. The present study aimed to assess the effect of peer education on self-efficacy in adolescents with major thalassemia. Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 90 adolescents with thalassemia in Bandar Abbas in 2022 were assigned to two groups of 45 cases using convenience sampling and random allocation methods. The intervention consisted of six sessions, including lectures by peer leaders, question and answers, group discussions, and evaluations. General self-efficacy and disease-related self-efficacy were measured before, immediately, and six weeks post-intervention using validated and reliable questionnaires. Data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 26) using independent t-tests, repeated measures ANOVA, and Chi-square tests. Results: The mean age scores were reported as 16.07±1.67 and 15.56±2.09 in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Immediately and six weeks after the intervention, compared to the control group, the mean scores of general and disease-related self-efficacy (P=0.005, P<0.001) (P<0.001, P=0.001) were higher in the intervention group. In the intervention group, disease-related self-efficacy was higher than general self-efficacy both immediately after the intervention and six weeks later (P = 0.043, P = 0.049). Conclusion: The findings highlighted the effectiveness of peer group educational intervention in general and disease-related self-efficacy among adolescents with major thalassemia. Therefore, it is recommended to benefit from peer support groups in treatment programs designed for adolescents with thalassemia.