A Comparative Study of the Effect of Peer-led and Lecture-based Education on Health Literacy in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

BACKGROUND: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) require health literacy to manage the symptoms and problems of the disease, which improves their quality of life. Health literacy is recognized as a critical indicator of health care outcomes. This study aimed to compare the effect of peer-led and lecture-based education on health literacy in MS patients. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was conducted on MS patients in Jahrom from December 2018 to November 2019. 90 patients were selected using convenience sampling and then assigned into control (n=45) and intervention groups (n=45). While routine education was presented to patients in the control group, peer education intervention was held for the intervention group. The number of sessions held for both groups was six sessions (one session per week). For data collection, MS health literacy questionnaire (MSHLQ) was used before and one month after the intervention in both groups. Data were analyzed through SPSS version 21 using Chi-square, Fisher’s exact test and t-test. The significance level was considered P<0.05. RESULTS: Paired t-test showed that there was a significant difference between the mean of health literacy in the intervention group before and after the intervention (P=0.001), while this difference was not observed in the control group (P=0.39). Independent t-test showed a significant difference in the mean of health literacy between the intervention and control groups after the intervention (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: The results showed that peer group experiences were more effective than lecture-based education in improving health literacy. It can be beneficial to employ as an educative-supportive approach in MS patients.