1000- India- The Positive Running Program: Implementation and evaluation of a physical fitness program to improve outcomes among adolescents and youth living with HIV in South India

Since 2009, our partners at Snehagram, a centre in south India have housed, educated and trained adolescents living with HIV to stay healthy, discover their potential, and achieve their dreams. Over the years, youth from the centre have demonstrated leadership at local, national and international levels and have demonstrated the potential to positively influence the lives of their peers and policy makers. Within the framework of a peer-led initiative to improve outcomes amongst HIV-positive adolescents and youth, a structured physical fitness and sports program called the Positive Running Program has been developed.
This program empowers children and youth by using athletics as a catalyst to harness their physical abilities and in doing so, develop the confidence to pursue an active, healthy and holistic lifestyle. The program brings together professionals to train children, ensures appropriate nutrition, and supports acquisition of training equipment. Regular fitness camps are conducted, bringing together children from other regions. The program encourages the children to participate in regional and national running events, to help them achieve greater heights, but at the same time, fostering the feeling of family and community. In 2022, over 200 HIV infected and affected children in 5 centers in Karnataka state in southern India have actively participated in the Positive Running Program. In the current project, we intend to evaluate this program to understand its impact on outcomes amongst adolescents and youth living with HIV, with a particular focus on gendered aspects of physical fitness and sports participation among young girls and women.

Through this position, the student will develop and strengthen knowledge and skills in numerous areas of global health research with a focus on HIV, adolescent health, social factors, physical fitness, and gender equity. This is a 2-month, full-time position with the possibility of an extension. The student will report to Dr. Anita Shet and work closely with the JHU study team as well as our partners in India, Snehagram.
Depending on the interests of the student, the aims of the student project may focus on the following areas:
1. Interact with the local partners at Snehagram and other centers to understand project implementation approaches and challenges and assist in documentation of the Positive Running Program.
2. Be involved in conducting sports camps for children living with HIV, and engage in teaching sessions within the camp.
3. Assist with development of study tools to measure the impact of the running program on physical and mental health, resilience, and overall development of HIV-positive participants.
4. Assist the JHU and Snehagram team with collection, management, and analysis of monitoring and evaluation data
5. Assist with study tasks as needed, such as attending team calls, drafting IRB amendments, and assisting with writing manuscripts related to the Positive Running Program.

If interested, the student may choose to develop a research project of her/his interest that fits within the objectives of the project. At the end of the program, depending on the focus of the students work, the student will write a report documenting findings, share results with Snehagram where relevant, and/or submit a manuscript of their research for publication.

The student will be spending time in community settings (either in-person if travel restrictions are lifted, or virtually through online meetings). The study staff, as well as our implementing partners, Snehagram are warm, welcoming and supportive. This opportunity will provide the student a well-rounded exposure to global health. Housing is available in a natural and safe residential setting within Snehagram.

Enjoys working in, or facilitating work in a community setting among HIV-infected and affected children and youth in an LMIC setting, and gaining practical experience with a global health study. This project would be particularly interesting for a student who is passionate about physical fitness and good nutrition and enjoys field work and being outdoors, and engaging in sports. A special interest in gender equality and women’s participation in physical activity and sports would be enriched within this placement. The student would also ideally have a high level of responsibility and independence and should be able to interact regularly with our implementing partners in a professional manner.

Name: Anita Shet, Department of International Health, ashet1@jhu.edu

I would describe my communication and mentorship styles as... 

My aim is to foster an environment that promotes enthusiasm, mutual learning, compassion, organizational skills, and confidence building. I like to encourage thinking in rational ways, and seek to create a learning environment to help students understand foundational concepts in child health, public health and infectious diseases. A big focus of our work in community-based participatory research. I would like students to explore their interests, gain new knowledge from this environment, contribute their skills towards this research, and be a resourceful and integrated member of our research team.

A complementary student would have a working style and mentorship expectations that are..

Students can develop independent thinking, and gain confidence as we progress in the mentorship. I would like students to be curious and creative, engage with local communities and absorb their wisdom, and enjoy the whole process while learning and doing. Working with institutional and community sites in LMIC settings requires patience, sensitivity and enthusiasm. The student can expect mentorship that is friendly, unbiased, honest, joyful and constructive. Children and youth especially are one of the most fun populations to work with, and my hope is that students going through this experience will be transformed in a happy and instructive manner.

$1000 (can be covered by the GHEFP scholarship or by project)

Additional stipend is available. The student's accommodation and food expenses can be covered from project funds. In some cases, If the student extends project work beyond 2 months, a research assistantship may be offered.