Using sport to promote AIDS education and active lifestyle for at risk youths: An intervention using peer coaches in football
Involverte ansatte ProsjektstatusThe project period end 8th April 2007
Status: Data analyses and manuscript writing
BeskrivelseAdolescents in Tanzania face a high risk of contracting HIV and women are 1.3 times more likely than men to contract HIV.
Conventional educational campaigns are conducted through TV and printed media, and through conventional adult institutions such as hospitals, schools, churches and homes. However, research shows that there is no decrease in HIV infection in youths.
Controversy rages over the effectiveness of conventional adult institutions to affect the risk bahaviors of youths. There have been recommendations to involve peers and to use familiar and valued activities to reach out to adolescents.
Since 2001, the EMIMA programme has intervened to attempt to affect knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and “at risk” sexual behaviors of youths by using sport to attract youths.
The research project aims to evaluate the effectiveness of AIDS education through sport (Kicking AIDS Out) and to assess the effectiveness of peer coaches in distributing the educational messages.
The study is a field experiment with control and treatment groups and a sample of 800 participants (M=13.6). Initial findings are encouraging, AIDS education through peer coaches in sport is more effective than conventional programmes.