Doping Knowledge and Attitudes of Turkish Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

The use of prohibited substances in the world of sport, in and out of competition, is a major global problem. A number of similar studies have been conducted in other parts of the world that investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of athletes about doping. The results of those studies cannot entirely be extrapolated to elite Turkish athletes. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate elite athletes’ current knowledge of appropriate drug use, doping and use of supplements, and to explore the need for further education on these topics. A total of 202 Turkish athletes participated in this descriptive cross-sectional study. The data were collected through a questionnaire. A five-point Likert scale was used for questions. The most commonly used over-the-counter medications by athletes were painkillers (78.2%). A remarkable proportion of athletes considered painkillers (41.1%), protein powder (43.1%), and caffeine (41.1%) to be prohibited drugs. According to the athletes, physicians (84.6%) and coaches (78.6%) were the two most frequently used sources of information, and 87.6% of the athletes found the physician to be the most reliable source of information. Elite athletes have poor knowledge about doping in Turkey. There is an urgent need for educational anti-doping programmes to address the knowledge gaps observed amongst athletes in this study.