Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes and Abuse Concerning Doping in Sport among Syrian Pharmacy Students

Mazen El-Hammadi,Bashar Hunien

doi:10.3390/pharmacy1020094

Abstract

This study aimed to assess pharmacy students’ knowledge about doping substances used in sport, explore their attitudes toward doping and investigate their misuse of doping drugs. A questionnaire was developed and employed to collect data from bachelor of pharmacy (BPharm) students at the International University for Science and Technology (IUST). Two-hundred and eighty students participated in this self-administrated, paper-based survey. Around 90% of the students did not appear to know that narcotics, β-blockers and diuretics were used in sport as doping agents. Additionally, proportions between 60% and 80% considered vitamins, energy drinks and amino acids as substances that possess performance-enhancing effects. The main reason for doping, based on students’ response, was to improve muscular body appearance. The vast majority of students agreed that pharmacists should play a major role in promoting awareness about risks of doping. While students showed negative attitudes toward doping, approximately 15% of them, primarily males, had already tried a doping drug or might do so in the future. More than 60% of the students believed that sports-mates and friends are the most influential in encouraging them to take a doping agent. The study highlights the need to provide pharmacy students with advanced theoretical background and practical training concerning doping. This can be achieved by adopting simple, but essential, changes to the current curricula.

Highlights

The use of performance-enhancing methods in sport was reported as early as more than two thousand years ago during the ancient Olympic Games held in 668 BC; a special diet of dried figs was taken by Charmis, the Spartan winner of the stade race [1]
Numerous studies have reported the use of doping agents among young sportspeople in schools, non-competing amateurs and gymnasium clients; for many of whom body appearance, and not in necessary competing in games, is a priority [4,5,6,7,8,9,10]
Approximately 90% of the students did not appear to know that narcotics, β-blockers and diuretics were used in sport as doping agents

Summary

Introduction

The use of performance-enhancing methods in sport was reported as early as more than two thousand years ago during the ancient Olympic Games held in 668 BC; a special diet of dried figs was taken by Charmis, the Spartan winner of the stade race [1]. The desire to achieve superiority, glory and even wealth seems to be a driving force for athletes to try legal and illegal performance-enhancing substances and/or methods [3]. Numerous studies have reported the use of doping agents among young sportspeople in schools, non-competing amateurs and gymnasium clients; for many of whom body appearance, and not in necessary competing in games, is a priority [4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. Estimates reveal that between 1–3 million Americans [11] and 50,000–100,000 Swedish [12], equate to approximately 1%

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