Open AccessA Comprehensive Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practicalities Related to Doping Agents use among Jordanians
Author(s) -
Mohanad Odeh,
Haneen M. Tailakh,
Abdel Qader Al Bawab,
Nour Amin Elsahoryi,
Karem H. Alzoubi
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
clinical practice and epidemiology in mental health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.692
H-Index - 48
ISSN - 1745-0179
DOI - 10.2174/17450179-v18-e2202280
Subject(s) - medicine , psychology
Background: People perform sports for better health and wellbeing. However, the use of doping agents is emerging among young adults. This study investigated aspects related to doping agents. Methods: A reliable self-administered questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha =0.72, Pearson's r = 0.89) was used to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practicalities related to the use of doping agents. Results for pharmacists as health care providers (HCP, n=550) were compared with non-healthcare providers (Non-HCP, n=319). Results: Among pharmacists, 82.9% knew the definition of doping agents vs . 72.4% of non-HCP (P<0.001). However, 36.7% of pharmacists vs . 39.6% of non-HCP incorrectly classified doping agents (P=0.02). The majority of responders (89.8%) supported having an anti-doping authority, yet, only 15% were aware of the anti-doping organizations. The majority of responders (83%) did not receive an official education related to doping agents. Enhancing physical performance was perceived as a leading driver (82.1%) to use doping agents. More than 90% of responders supported awareness in the community. The perceived best tool for awareness was social media and TV sites, as suggested by pharmacists (95.0%) and non-HCP (92.1%, P=0.312). A total of 6.1% had ever used doping agents (3.6% pharmacist vs . 9.8% non-HCP, P<0.001). Almost half of the users utilized a diet or medication to counteract the side effects of doping agents. Within pharmacists, males received more requests to provide doping agents (41.9%) compared with females (23.8%, P<0.001). Conclusion: It is crucial to enhance professional and legal knowledge and public awareness about doping agents, not only for non-HCP but also for HCPs. Applying more restrictions on doping agents is strongly recommended.