Knowledge, Awareness, and Attitudes towards Doping among Biochemistry University Students

Abstract

The use of prohibited performance-enhancing substances in sports remains a pertinent issue with significant health and ethical issues. Hence, investigating the knowledge, attitude and awareness of biochemistry students towards doping was the main aim of this study. A total of 203 students (164 females and 39 male) from five different universities, voluntarily engaged in this cross-sectional study. The age of these participants ranged from 20-24 years (M = 21.96, SD = 0.961). The findings demonstrated that a considerable percentage of participants are familiar with banned substances due to their biochemistry background. However, there were notable misconceptions as a significant proportion of participants failed to identify these substances as prohibited. These results emphasize the significance of targeted educational interventions aimed at rectifying misconceptions and promoting ethical principles. Furthermore, the influence exerted by coaches, peers and media in building students’ perspectives underscores the necessity for comprehensive awareness campaigns that engage multiple stakeholders.