[citation needed] Peer education is also associated with efforts to prevent tobacco, alcohol and other drug use among young people.
[5] Peer education is useful in promoting healthy eating, food safety and physical activity amongst marginalized populations.
[citation needed] A variety of theories are offered regarding the question of how peer education is supposed to achieve positive results.
The popular opinion leader theory[9] suggests a parallel between peer education and the marketing of commercial products.
[citation needed] Campbell argues that what peer education ought to do is to promote the kind of critical consciousness theorised by Paulo Freire.
[citation needed] Sarbin argues that peer educators will adapt to the role expectations of a tutor and behave appropriately.
The potential is that Peer educators can develop a stronger commitment and a greater appreciation of the relevance of the health topic.
Rogers and Shoemaker argue that effective communication occurs when the source and receiver are homophilous, that is, are similar in certain attributes.
[16] Engaging youth peer educators helps professionals to extend their outreach of programs and services to ensure their efforts are impactful.
Peer education has been operative in encouraging knowledge, attitudes and intention to change behavior in AIDS prevention.
[15] Furthermore, nondirective peer support has been identified as the best way to motivate individuals in the preparation, action, or maintenance stages of readiness to change.
Peer educators can act as enthusiastic advocates for the program and have a sense of purpose in their community outreach efforts.
[18] A grassroots initiative involving volunteers means that the health issue is reaching the target audience continuously with less of a threat of financial cutbacks impacting on their work.
Research findings support the use of volunteer peer educators as a feasible and effective healthcare delivery strategy and as having promising indicators of sustainability over time.
Some argue that there can be a stigma held against peer educators who have faced adversities in their own lives, particularly by mainstream health service organizations and professionals.
A central question should therefore be whose agenda is being served by using peer education projects which manipulate and exploit the social worlds of young people?