Poster Presentation International Celiac Disease Symposium 2026

GlutenFree Buddies: A Pilot Peer-to-Peer Mentorship Program for Youth with Celiac Disease (#334)

Peacha Sokzini 1 , Ashley Dunn 1 , Bren Botzheim 2 , Derek Boothroyd 2 , Parnia Abrishamchian 1 , Ally Koh 1 , Jennifer Iscol 3 , Garret Forshee 1 , Anava Wren 1 , Hilary Jericho 1
  1. Stanford Medicine Children’s Health Center for Pediatric IBD and Celiac Disease, Palo Alto, CA, United States
  2. Stanford University School of Medicine, Quantitative Science Unit, Palo Alto, CA, United States
  3. Celiac Community Foundation of Northern California, Healdsburg, CA, United States

Background: Celiac disease (CeD) is an autoimmune enteropathy triggered by gluten and treated with a gluten-free diet (GFD). Youth with CeD experience higher rates of depression and anxiety, and reduced quality of life. Peer mentorship programs benefit youth with chronic illnesses, but their impact on youth with CeD is unknown. This study aimed to evaluate a peer-to-peer mentorship program for youth with CeD.

Methods: GlutenFree Buddies (GFB) was a 6-month peer-to-peer mentorship program for individuals aged 13-25 with CeD. Participants were invited to join the intervention (GFB) or a control group. Both groups completed surveys to assess GFD compliance and psychosocial wellbeing at baseline, 3-months, 6-months, and 8-months. Baseline standardized mean differences (SMDs) were calculated between intervention and control participants. Descriptive statistics were calculated for baseline demographic variables and for outcomes at each time point. An equal variance two-sample t-test was performed for the primary outcomes at 6- and 8-months. 

Results: The study included 92 participants [mean age = 17.5; age range = 13-25; 77% female; 88% white or European], with 50 participants in the control group and 42 in the intervention. While participants were not randomized, baseline SMDs were small. At 6-months, the GFB intervention group showed statistically significant improvements in GFD adherence compared to the control group (p = 0.02), with positive trends in depression, quality of life, and psychosocial wellbeing.

Conclusion: By the end of GFB, intervention participants had higher rates of GFD adherence compared to the control group. Intervention participants showed favorable changes in mental wellbeing, including depression and quality of life. These findings highlight the potential of peer mentorship as a complement to clinical care for youth with CeD. Moving forward, participant feedback will guide revisions to GFB to strengthen its long-term impact and scalability, including enhancements to mentor training and strategies to sustain engagement.