Peer Mentoring for Health Behavior Change: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Peer mentoring can be a powerful complement to health instruction. Mentoring has been used to change health behaviors and promote sustainable lifestyle patterns in adults and, more recently, among adolescents. Purpose: This article reviews the use of peer mentoring to promote health practices and describes how this approach can be used in school settings. Methods: A systematic review of the literature identified evaluation studies on the effectiveness of peer mentoring for promoting health behavior change is presented. Results: A growing literature supports peer mentoring as an effective approach to health behavior change. Peer mentoring allows for the incorporation of skill-building activities; reinforcement of self-regulation activities; engagement in individual and group activities; and social support to meet personal health goals. Translation to Health Education Practice: With peer mentors, the promotion of health behavior change can be tailored to personal interests, talents, and the contextual environment. Mentoring programs can benefit schools by establishing social networks using positive role models of health behaviors as mentors.