Study reveals limitations of drug testing policy
Content
January 2012 For immediate release Study reveals limitations of drug testing policy A study by researchers at Leeds Metropolitan University has found that drugs testing alone is not an effective deterrent in preventing athletes from taking performance-enhancing substances.
The study, carried out by sports scientists in the University¶s Carnegie Research Institute, investigated athletes¶ attitudes, beliefs and willingness to participate in performance enhancement in sport and found that more emphasis needs to be placed on doping prevention and education which focuses on changing athletes¶ doping-related perceptions.
Speaking about the study¶s results, lead researcher Lisa Whitaker said: ³Prevention education is most effective if it is targeted and this study has allowed us to generate an evidence base to inform future anti-doping programmes. The findings suggest that anti-doping programmes need to target athletes¶ doping-related perceptions, including their feelings towards other athletes¶ doping behaviour, and their expectations of the outcomes of using banned substances.´
The research also revealed that athletes would be most willing to use a banned substance if they were to suffer a dip in performance and their funding was under threat or if they were to suffer an injury before a major competition. The athletes also indicated that they would be more likely to use banned substances if they thought others were using and getting away with it, although they felt themselves that they would receive little approval from their significant others if they were to use banned substances.
The study, which gathered over 700 anonymous responses from athletes from a range of sports, found that male athletes perceived themselves to be more similar to athletes who use banned substances when compared to female athletes. It also suggested that athletes¶ perceptions of those who use
banned substances must be targeted through prevention programmes that instil negative attitudes towards doping.
The role of coaching in doping abuse was also investigated, with the study indicating that coaches are highly influential on athletes¶ behaviour and must be prioritised in terms of banned substance education.
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Ends For further details please contact Mark Dorey on 0113 812 3022 or email [email protected] Notes for editors: y Leeds Metropolitan University has over 15,000 students and around 3, 000 staff. y The Vice Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University is Professor Susan Price and the Chair of the Board is Lord Woolmer of Leeds. y Leeds Metropolitan¶s four faculties are: Arts, Environment and Technology, Business & Law, Health and Social Sciences, and Carnegie. y Leeds Metropolitan¶s heritage can be traced back to the founding of the Mechanics Institute in Leeds in 1824. y International students rated the University top in the UK for language support, accommodation quality and learning spaces in the 2010 Autumn Wave of the International Student Barometer and sixth in the world for the quality of its lectures. We have over 1,500 international students from 122 countries around the globe.
y
The
University¶s
award-winning
learning
environments
include
Broadcasting Place, which was voted the best tall building in the world in 2010 by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) and also winner of the 2010 Leeds Architecture Awards New Building category.
The study, carried out by sports scientists in the University¶s Carnegie Research Institute, investigated athletes¶ attitudes, beliefs and willingness to participate in performance enhancement in sport and found that more emphasis needs to be placed on doping prevention and education which focuses on changing athletes¶ doping-related perceptions.
Speaking about the study¶s results, lead researcher Lisa Whitaker said: ³Prevention education is most effective if it is targeted and this study has allowed us to generate an evidence base to inform future anti-doping programmes. The findings suggest that anti-doping programmes need to target athletes¶ doping-related perceptions, including their feelings towards other athletes¶ doping behaviour, and their expectations of the outcomes of using banned substances.´
The research also revealed that athletes would be most willing to use a banned substance if they were to suffer a dip in performance and their funding was under threat or if they were to suffer an injury before a major competition. The athletes also indicated that they would be more likely to use banned substances if they thought others were using and getting away with it, although they felt themselves that they would receive little approval from their significant others if they were to use banned substances.
The study, which gathered over 700 anonymous responses from athletes from a range of sports, found that male athletes perceived themselves to be more similar to athletes who use banned substances when compared to female athletes. It also suggested that athletes¶ perceptions of those who use
banned substances must be targeted through prevention programmes that instil negative attitudes towards doping.
The role of coaching in doping abuse was also investigated, with the study indicating that coaches are highly influential on athletes¶ behaviour and must be prioritised in terms of banned substance education.
To read the report in full click here
Ends For further details please contact Mark Dorey on 0113 812 3022 or email [email protected] Notes for editors: y Leeds Metropolitan University has over 15,000 students and around 3, 000 staff. y The Vice Chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University is Professor Susan Price and the Chair of the Board is Lord Woolmer of Leeds. y Leeds Metropolitan¶s four faculties are: Arts, Environment and Technology, Business & Law, Health and Social Sciences, and Carnegie. y Leeds Metropolitan¶s heritage can be traced back to the founding of the Mechanics Institute in Leeds in 1824. y International students rated the University top in the UK for language support, accommodation quality and learning spaces in the 2010 Autumn Wave of the International Student Barometer and sixth in the world for the quality of its lectures. We have over 1,500 international students from 122 countries around the globe.
y
The
University¶s
award-winning
learning
environments
include
Broadcasting Place, which was voted the best tall building in the world in 2010 by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) and also winner of the 2010 Leeds Architecture Awards New Building category.
