Effectiveness of Peer Mentoring for the Prevention of Dependency: A Pilot Study in a Rural Setting.
Laura Mateos-González, Sara Menéndez-Espina, José Antonio Llosa and 3 others
PMID 39428358WHAT IT FOUND
Overall quality of life did not clearly change after active-ageing workshops.
Older adults needing care showed better physical health and less depression, and face-to-face peer groups increased perceived social support among those living alone.
Key findings
01After the workshops, physical health and mental health scores did not change significantly within groups or between groups.
02For participants who needed care, physical health scores increased significantly from 351.13 to 431.81, and depression scores changed significantly within subjects.
03For participants living alone, social support did not change significantly within subjects, but group differences were significant and the face-to-face peer group showed the clearest increase.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a pilot quasi-experimental study, so it is mainly a first test of the programme. Participants were recruited by convenience sampling and were rural older adults without diagnosed dementia or a highly incapacitating situation, so the results may not apply to more dependent or urban populations. The intervention lasted only 7 weeks, and the authors note that this may be too short to show changes in several outcomes. The social support groups were not equivalent at baseline, so comparisons between delivery modes are harder to interpret. Several important results were found only in subgroups, such as people needing care or people living alone. All groups received the same active-ageing content and professional support, so the study cannot separate the effect of peer mentoring from the content or the delivery route.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The work was funded by the Government of the Principality of Asturias, Spain.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that peer mentoring alone caused the improvements. All groups received the same active-ageing content for 7 weeks, and the study cannot separate the contribution of the content, peer mentoring, digital delivery and professional support.