Knowledge, attitude and practice on doping of Malaysian student athletes
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22159/ajpcr.2018.v11i5.23598Keywords:
doping, student athletes, drugs in sportsAbstract
 Objective: The aim of the study is to measure the knowledge, attitude, and practice of drugs use in sports among Malaysian student athletes.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional, self-administered survey of student athletes studying in six universities and two sports schools in Malaysia. Athletes were approached at their schools or universities and were explained about the study. If they agreed to participate, they were asked to provide written informed consent and fill in the survey. Participation in the study was voluntary and no incentives were given.
Results: Overall, 182 respondents were recruited for this study. Most of the respondents were male, age between 16 and 18 years old and had participated in international sports competition. The knowledge of the respondents on drugs in sports was found to be moderate with the median score of 11 per 18. The overall mean performance enhancement attitude scale scores, a measure of doping attitudes, for all respondents were 44.63 ± 13.03 indicating they are having a negative attitude toward doping. Meanwhile, 12% of the respondents had been offered doping agents by any parties with 13.7% of them are using it for medical purpose while 4.4% of them had used it for other purposes.
Conclusion: Young athletes should be better equipped with knowledge on the dangers of doping and have a firm stance against doping. Thus, specific educational package and special courses should be provided to address the knowledge gap observed among the athletes in this study apart from enhancing their attitude toward the importance of anti-doping.
Downloads
References
Müller RK. History of doping and doping control. In: Thieme D, Hemmersbach P, editors. Doping in Sport. Heildelberg: Springer; 2010. p. 1-18.
Roan D. Russia and Rio 2016: How the IOC is working up an Olympic compromise. BBC. Available from: http://www.bbc.com/sport/olympics/36422629. [Last accessed on 2017 Jun 24].
Bernama. Come Forward on Sukma Doping, Sport Associations Told. New Straits Times; 2016. Available from: https://www.nst.com.my/news/2016/10/178066/come-forward-sukma-doping-sport-associations-told. [Last accessed on 2017 Jun 24].
Calfee R, Fadale P. Popular ergogenic drugs and supplements in young athletes. Pediatrics 2006;117:e577-89.
Reddy P, Gosavi D, Reddy S. Lifestyle drugs. Int J Pharm Pharm Sci 2012;4:43-5.
Johnson D, Sekhar HS, Alex T, Kumaraswamy M, Chopra RS. Self-medication practice among medical, pharmacy and nursing students. Int J Pharm Pharm Sci 2016;8:443-7.
Butch AW, Lombardo JA, Bowers LD, Chu J, Cowan DA. The quest for clean competition in sports: Are the testers catching the dopers? Clin Chem 2011;57:943-7.
Fürhapter C, Blank C, Leichtfried V, Mair-Raggautz M, Müller D, Schobersberger W. Evaluation of West-Austrian junior athletes’ knowledge regarding doping in sports. Wien Klin Wochenschr 2013;125:41-9.
Sánchez MJ, Zabala M. Doping in sport: A review of elite atheles attitudes, beliefs and knowledge. Sports Med 2013;43:395-411.
Nolte K, Steyn BJ, Kriiger PE, Fletcher L. Doping in sport: Attitudes, beliefs and knowledge of competitive high-school athletes in Gauteng province. SA J Sports Med 2014;26:81-6.
Muwonge H, Zavuga R, Kabenge PA. Doping knowledge, attitudes, and practices of ugandan athletes’: A cross-sectional study. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2015;10:37.
Kim T, Kim YH. Korean national athletes’ knowledge, practices, and attitudes of doping: A cross-sectional study. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2017;12:7.
Krejcie RV, Morgan DW. Determining sample size for research activities. Educ Psychol Meas 1970;30:607-10.
Peretti-Watel P, Guagliardo V, Verger P, Mignon P, Pruvost J, Obadia Y. Attitudes toward doping and recreational drug use among french elite student-athletes. Soc Sport J 2004;21:1-17.
Wanjek B, Rosendahl J, Strauss B, Gabriel HH. Doping, drugs and drug abuse among adolescents in the state of Thuringia (Germany): Prevalence, knowledge and attitudes. Int J Sports Med 2007;28:346-53.
Petróczi A. Attitudes and doping: A structural equation analysis of the relationship between athletes’ attitudes, sport orientation and doping behaviour. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2007;2:34.
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). NCAA Study of Substance Use Habits of College Student-Athletes; 2006. Available from: https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/14.%20Substance%20Use%20Report%202005.pdf.
Chebet S. Evaluation of Knowledge, Attitudes and Practice of Doping Among Elite Middle and Long Distance Runners in Kenya. [Thesis Dr. Phil] School of Applied Human Sciences, Kenyatta University; 2014.
Docherty JR. Pharmacology of stimulants prohibited by the world anti-doping agency (WADA). Br J Pharmacol 2008;154:606-22.
Peters C, Schulz T, Oberhoffer R, Michna H. Doping and doping prevention: Knowledge, attitudes and expectations of athletes and coaches. Dtsch Z Sportmed 2009;60:73-9.
Alaranta A, Alaranta H, Holmila J, Palmu P, Pietilä K, Helenius I, et al. Self-reported attitudes of elite athletes towards doping: Differences between Type of sport. Int J Sports Med 2006;27:842-6.
Petróczi A, Mazanov J, Naughton DP. Inside athletes’ minds: Preliminary results from a pilot study on mental representation of doping and potential implications for anti-doping. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2011;6:10.
Geyer H, Parr MK, Mareck U, Reinhart U, Schrader Y, Schänzer W, et al. Analysis of non-hormonal nutritional supplements for anabolic-androgenic steroids - results of an international study. Int J Sports Med 2004;25:124-9.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
The publication is licensed under CC By and is open access. Copyright is with author and allowed to retain publishing rights without restrictions.
