Mechanisms Activated in the Interaction between Peer Supporters and Peers: How do the Peer Supporters Perceive and Perform Their Role in an Intervention Targeted Socially Vulnerable People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Realist-Informed Evaluation

Table 3

Matrix of the intervention-context-actor-mechanism-outcome configurations based on the findings (adapted by Mukumbang et al. [23]).

Intervention	Context	Actor	Mechanism		Outcome
	Individual contextual factors		Resource	Reasoning	Immediate	Intermediate
Biweekly peer-to-peer meetings	Peers’ life circumstances (occupation and financial situation, energy, other life events)	Peer supporters	Peer supporters obtain knowledge about the supporter role and adapt their role performance to respond to peers’ situations, perceived needs, and resources
	Peers’ health condition (multiple diagnoses, diabetes-related complications)	Peers				Intended: Improved diabetes self-management and use of healthcare services^∗
	Peer supporters’ work-related experience	Peer supporters	Peer supporters use their work-related experience to identify with the role and establish personal boundaries in their peer relationships			(^∗if contextual factors in peers' everyday lives facilitated their engagement in the intervention)
		Peers		Experience of being equal with a like-minded person (unpaid and nonprofessional) activated mutual trust, respect, empathy, care, and honesty	Increased self-care awareness
	Peer supporters’ personal experience with T2D	Peer supporters	Peer supporters use their personal experience with T2D to provide social and emotional support
	Peers’ and peer supporters’ health conditions (multiple diagnoses, diabetes-related complications)	Peers		Sharing the same diagnosis evoked an understanding of each other’s life situations		Unintended: Improved cleaning and tidying up in their homes
	Peers’ and peer supporters’ sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, ethnicity, and education level)	Peer supporters	When peers and peer supporters shared similar sociodemographic characteristics, the level of personal engagement among peer supporters increases			Better personal hygiene and getting dressed in the morning