The Effect of a Peer-Led Non-Pharmacological Pain-Management Program on Chronic Pain Intensity and Pain-Related Self-Efficacy in Older Adults with Osteoarthritis: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Participants were assigned by which healthcare center they attended, not randomly, so baseline differences or center effects could explain some results. Participants and peer educators knew which group received the program, and outcomes were self-reported, so expectations may have influenced scores. Follow-up was short, so the study does not show whether effects last. The study measured pain intensity and self-efficacy only; it did not measure physical function, daily activity performance, or medication use, so it cannot show whether patients moved better or used less medication. The program used trained peers with research-team supervision, so it may not translate directly to settings without that support.

Do not conclude that the peer-led program reduced pain intensity. In the intervention group, total pain did not change significantly (P=0.259). The significant difference compared with usual care at two months occurred despite no significant change in the control group over time.