Predictors of doping intentions, susceptibility, and behaviour of elite athletes: a meta-analytic review

Abstract

Research in doping has focused on potential intervention strategies, increasingly targeting predicting factors. Yet, findings are inconsistent, mostly athlete-centred and explain only limited variances in behaviour. This critical review aims to (a) summarize studies that identified predictors of doping intentions, susceptibility, and behaviour in elite athletes and to (b) analyse in how far previous research included aspects beyond athlete-centred approaches, such as context and sporting culture. We reviewed 14 studies that focused on elite athletes. Situational temptation, attitudes, and subjective norms seem to be strong predicting variables of doping intentions (r ≥ 0.50), but intention was no predictor for behaviour. Attitudes were a significant predictor for both, doping susceptibility (r = 0.47) and behaviour (r = 0.30). Most of the predictors are athlete-centred and ignore macro-level factors that might help to explain how certain individual traits impact on the decision making process. The findings from this review call for a critical discussion of whether current doping-prevention research needs to take new directions. We propose future research to bridge findings of psychologists and sociologists, as it appears that doping behaviour cannot be explained by ignoring the one or the other. Impacts of sporting culture that have been identified in qualitative approaches need to be integrated in future quantitative approaches to test for its external validity. Inclusion of both, micro- and macro level factors may enable an integrative prevention program that creates a sporting culture without doping.

Mental health in elite athletes: International Olympic Committee consensus statement (2019)

“…The prevalence of substance use, misuse (defined as heavy, risky, harmful, hazardous or problem use) or full use disorders as defined in DSM-51 among elite athletes varies significantly by substance class,424 432–439 sport,5 439–445 in season versus out of season,434 age/level of competition,424 432 438 445–448 gender,438 439 445 449 450 country,433 437 445 451–455 sexual orientation,456 ethnicity,439 444 457 reasons for use424 458 and prevalence determination methods 433 459–461. Although self-report surveys and competition day urine drug testing are the most common ways of determining use or misuse, these likely are underestimates 460 461.…”

“…Common risk factors for use include: sport context and culture (eg, normative beliefs about heavy peer drinking or illicit drug use); situational temptation (eg, drinking games); permissive attitudes among athletes, coaches and parents; male sex; use of performance enhancing substances or tobacco; identification as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer; party lifestyle or drinking game participation; sensation seeking; overestimating peer use; achievement orientation; lower use of protective measures (eg, avoiding serious intoxication, using a designated driver); leadership position; fraternity/sorority membership; problem gambling; and injury 442 443 448 450 452 458 468 481–483. Intrinsic religiosity has been inversely associated with the use of alcohol, marijuana and other drugs 484…”

Influences of perfectionism and motivational climate on attitudes towards doping among Korean national athletes: a cross sectional study

“…Doping formally refers to any violation of anti-doping rules set forth in the Code of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) [ 1 ]. It hurts the image of sports, is considered unsportsmanlike, and poses potentially irreversible health consequences to users [ 2 , 3 ]. The efforts of the WADA and national anti-doping agencies to prevent doping, including serious disciplinary consequences for athletes who are caught, have led to rising awareness of doping and more frequent application of controls [ 4 ].…”

“…Doping is not an accident [ 7 ], and its causes are complex [ 3 ]. Petróczi and Aidman [ 17 ] proposed a life-cycle model of performance enhancement that enables a more effective intervention approach to doping.…”

Substâncias Farmacológicas E O Doping Esportivo

“…As substâncias que são proibidas em todos os momentos ou nas competições são frequentemente encontradas nos atletas, no entando, esses incidentes críticos causa desclassificação e oferece grande risco para a saúde (WHITAKER; BLACKHOUSE, 2016). O doping é geralmente considerado anti-desportivo e utilizado para criar vantagens injustas no esporte, tendo em vista a importância de cuidar e proteger e saúde e a integridade dos atletas, a prevenção da dopagem nos esportes de elite já é considerado uma prioridade das federações desportivas internacionais como forma de promover a saúde dos atletas (BLANK et al, 2016).…”