Sport against AIDS
Doctoral defence at Norwegian School of Sport Sciences.
Karen Christensen | 24.11.2008 
Cyprian Ngilisho Maro will Wednesday 3rd of December 2008 defend his doctoral dissertation ”Using Sport to Promote HIV/AIDS Education for at-risk Youths: An Intervention using Peer Coaches” for the degree Philosophiae Doctor at NIH,
Department for Coaching and Psychology.
Reduce the risk of aids by using sport?
The present thesis examined the efficacy of an educational intervention, designed to enhance HIV/AIDS education in at-risk children. Thus, the primary aim of the present thesis was to investigate the effectiveness of an on going AIDS education intervention program (EMIMA) delivered by peers in a sport context. A secondary aim was to investigate a motivational strategy to enhance the educational effectiveness of peer coaches in the sport context.
The present thesis outlines an intriguing quasi-experimental project that included four groups –two interventions and two control groups with 764 children aged 12-15 years. One hundred trained peer coaches participated in the two intervention groups.
Main conclusions
The findings in this dissertation indicate that young people in the study were at risk of HIV infection as they had limited knowledge, attitude and skills necessary for optimal HIV prevention. The findings further demonstrate that the current approaches to educating children about AIDS in schools in Tanzania are not having optimal effect.
The research project demonstrate that youth friendly and community based programs that use peers in a sport context is an effective means of transmitting information and life skills to these at-risk children and can effectively enhance the education and knowledge of the procedures that reduce the risk of HIV/AIDS infections for youths. The findings further provide evidence that motivational enhancement strategies are useful in enhancing the effectiveness of life skill educational interventions for HIV risk reduction. Further the present dissertation shows that gender is a risk factor and changing the gender norms and promoting gender-equity is an important and effective strategy to prevent HIV infection. Future interventions should recognize the strength of the culturally determined gender roles and design gender –focused skill based interventions using peers in youth friendly activities such as sport.
 Cyprian Ngilisho Maro (born 16.09.67) comes from Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. His background includes a 4 year Bachelor of Education with major in Physical Education from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. His master degree in Sport Psychology was accomplished at NIH, in a study that examined the effect of goal orientations and perception of motivational climate on cognitive, behavioural and affective responses in Physical Education (PE) Classes in Tanzania.
Cyprian also holds European Masters degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology. Currently, Cyprian works at the University of Dar es Salaam as Lecturer in sport and exercise psychology in the department of Physical Education Sport and Culture (PESC). Cyprian initiated the EMIMA intervention program that is documented in the present doctoral thesis. |
Evaluation committee:
Professor Kari Fasting, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Leader.
Professor Kari Fasting, Professor Steve Danish, Virginia, 1st Opponent.
Professor Howard Hall, York, 2nd Opponent.
Program:
10.15 – 11.00 Trial Lecture: : ”Life skills: What are they, how are they developed, and how might sport and physical activity be a vehicle for enhancing learning?”
13.00 – 16.00 : Defence of Thesis