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CIAU athletes’ use and intentions to use performance enhancing drugs : a study utilizing the theory of planned behaviour

University of British Columbia

A recent investigation of CIAU athletes' drug using behaviours revealed that performance enhancing drug use is still occurring in CIAU sport (Spence & Gauvin, 1994). Although testing has its place in dissuading drug use, it may be more effective to employ drug education programs in an attempt to prevent drug use before it occurs. In order to implement an effective CIAU drug education program it is necessary to first understand the antecedents of performance enhancing drug use. Although theory has not been used in the past to predict performance enhancing drug use, specific theories may add significantly to the understanding of antecedent factors that might be associated with the use of performance enhancing drugs. In particular, a theory such as the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) because it has been used successfully to predict both recreational drug use and exercise adherence, may be the most useful theory for this purpose. Additional variables that may assist in the prediction of performance enhancing drug use are habit strength and self-esteem / body image. Male CIAU football, wrestling, ice hockey, swimming and track & field athletes (N=182) completed and returned "The CIAU Modified Version of the National Survey of Youths' Attitudes Towards Performance Enhancing Substances" questionnaire. Their answers were subjected to both a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and hierarchical regression analysis. The CFA revealed a very poor fit between the data and the model consisting of the variables of the TPB (i.e. attitudes, subjective norms, perceived control) and the added variable of self-esteem / body image, [X2 (98, N = 182) = 518.45, p < .05]. The hierarchical regression analysis, however, found the TPB variables both alone, [F (3, 178) = 12.50, p < .001] and in combination with habit strength and selfesteem / body image, [F (5,176) = 11.77, p < .001)] to significantly predict subjects' intentions to use performance enhancing drugs. Together the five variables accounted for 25% of the variance in subjects' intention scores. This was below the predicted level of 40%. The CFA results suggest that the current questionnaire may not be measuring the variables of the TPB and the variable self-esteem / body image as accurately as would be desirable. Nevertheless, the results from the regression analysis suggest that the TPB may in future be used to better explain and predict performance enhancing drug use among male CIAU athletes, ^ especially when the TPB is combined with measures of the variables self-esteem / body image and habit strength. Recommendations for CIAU drug education programs are also made based upon these results.

Thesis/Dissertation

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2009-02-12

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/4513

Human Kinetics

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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