title: Peer Education: Participatory Qualitative Educational Needs Assessment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In the area of youth health, peers education is an approach to health promotion. Assess the training needs of peers educators clarifies the components, values, and quality of training protocols. Aim to that we conducted a participatory educational needs assessment of youth peer educators.
  
  
  METHODS
  Involving youth and key informants in direct collaboration with research team, a qualitative approach was planned based on grounded theory. For data collection a semi-structured guide questioning was designed. Sixteen focus group discussions and 8 in depth interview were held.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of participants emphasized on the importance of mental health, life skills, AIDS prevention, contraception methods, and healthy nutrition as the main training topics. They were extremely interested into the comprehensive educational material among their participatory role in peer programs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The training programs should be well defined based on the knowledge, skills and behavior of peers. During the implementation, training programs should be followed to meet the ongoing educational needs of service providers.
authors.affiliation: 1. Deputy of Research & Technology, Ministry of Health & Medical Education , Iran ; 2. Non Communicable Disease Research Center, Endocrinology & Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Endocrine and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Shirin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Djalalinia
authors.affiliation: 3. Endocrinology Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshy University of Medical Sciences.
authors.forename: Fahimeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ramezani Tehrani
authors.affiliation: 4. Health Research Institute of Tehran, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Malekafzali
authors.affiliation: 1. Deputy of Research & Technology, Ministry of Health & Medical Education , Iran ; 2. Non Communicable Disease Research Center, Endocrinology & Metabolism Population Sciences Institute, Endocrine and Metabolism Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Niloofar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Peykari
keywords: Education; Health; Needs assessment; Peer education