Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39712477›Full record

ArticleHealth care transitions2025

Bolstering connectedness through peer support: Randomized-controlled trial of a web-based peer support program for adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease.

Meghan K Ford, Armanda Iuliano, Thomas D Walters, Anthony R Otley, David R Mack, Kevan Jacobson, Jason D Rights, Dean A Tripp, Jennifer N Stinson, Sara Ahola Kohut

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health care transitions, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Meghan K FordDepartment of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Armanda IulianoChild Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Thomas D WaltersDepartment of Pediatrics and Nursing, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Anthony R OtleyDivision of Gastroenterology and Nutrition, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
David R MackChildren's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centre, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, CHEO, Ottawa, Canada.
Kevan JacobsonDivision of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Jason D RightsDepartment of Pediatrics & Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
Dean A TrippDepartment of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Jennifer N StinsonChild Health Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Sara Ahola KohutSickKids Inflammatory Bowel Disease Centre, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic autoimmune disease often diagnosed during adolescence. IBD negatively impacts all aspects of health-related quality of life, resulting in physical, emotional, social, school, and work functioning challenges. Adolescents have identified the need for peer support in managing their disease and promoting positive health outcomes. However, studies have yet to explore the peer support needs of this population. The study aimed to capture whether a peer mentoring program (iPeer2Peer©) was successful at improving adolescent disease self-management. The study also aimed to understand the lived experiences of adolescents participating in iPeer2Peer©. Methods: Adolescents with IBD were recruited from three tertiary hospitals in Canada. The study adopted a waitlist pilot randomized control trial (RCT) with participants randomly allocated to the intervention (iPeer2Peer© program) or control group. Participants completed questionnaire measures at baseline and post-program examining self-reported self-management, self-efficacy, emotional distress, social support, and health-related quality of life. A subset of intervention participants were randomly invited post-program to participate in a semi-structured interview to examine mentee program experiences. Results: The quantitative analyses showed no significant differences between the intervention and control group. Three themes were identified in the qualitative analysis: 1) forming a connection over shared experiences and beyond, 2) improving mentee program experience, and 3) program flexibility. Conclusion: Despite the lack of significant quantitative outcomes, qualitative data suggests peer support for adolescents with IBD adds value to IBD care by developing a sense of belonging with peers who share lived experiences. This study demonstrates the complexity of mentee psychosocial needs and challenges in measuring outcomes in peer support research. Clinical implications and future research opportunities are discussed.

Indexed as

AdolescentsInflammatory bowel diseaseMixed-methodPeer supportPsychosocial functioningVirtual care

Identifiers

PMID39712477
PMCPMC11657413

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.