scholarly journals Doping Attitudes, Beliefs, and Practices among Young, Amateur Croatian Athletes

Sports ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 25
Author(s):  
Ivan Miskulin ◽  
Danijela Stimac Grbic ◽  
Maja Miskulin

Recent studies revealed that amateur athletes, especially young ones, have an increasing tendency of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) usage. The aim of this study was to explore PEDs attitudes, beliefs, and practices among young, amateur Croatian athletes. This cross-sectional study using a specially designed questionnaire as a research tool was done during the August 2019 to January 2020 period among a convenient sample of 400 amateur athletes of median age 18 (interquartile range 15 to 21) years. The prevalence of current PEDs usage was 1.3%, while past PEDs usage prevalence was 3.3%. Current PEDs usage was more frequent among young adults (p = 0.048) and athletes playing individual sports (p = 0.001). Athletes who were engaged in sports from one to five years had more permissive attitudes toward PEDs (p < 0.001) as measured by the Performance Enhancement Attitude Scale. Female athletes had more positive beliefs about PEDs usage (p = 0.008). The study did not establish any correlation between current or past PEDs usage and attitudes toward PEDs as well as beliefs about PEDs usage. However, there was a weak positive correlation between attitudes toward PEDs and athletes’ beliefs about PEDs usage (rs = 0.465, p < 0.001). PEDs usage is present among young Croatian amateur athletes. There is a need for interventions directed toward the prevention of PEDs usage in an observed subgroup of athletes.

Author(s):  
Shu-Chun Lin ◽  
Lee-Fen Ni ◽  
Yu-Ming Wang ◽  
Shu Hsin Lee ◽  
Hung-Chang Liao ◽  
...  

The COVID-19 pandemic may cause a nursing shortage. Prelicensure nursing students who are exposed to high-stress COVID-19 events are related to defective career decision-making. This study validated the COVID-19 attitude scale and clarified how their attitudes about COVID-19 affected their behavioral intentions toward career decision-making. We conducted a cross-sectional study and recruited a convenience sample of 362 prelicensure nursing students from Northern and Central Taiwan. Two measurements were applied, including the Nursing Students Career Decision-making instrument and COVID-19 attitude scale. We used AMOS (version 22.0) to perform a confirmatory factor analysis. The Cronbach α of the COVID-19 attitude scale was 0.74 and consisted of four factors. The most positive attitude was the nursing belief factor, and the least positive factor was emotional burden. Prelicensure nursing students’ COVID-19 attitudes were significantly positively associated with their career decision-making attitudes and perceived control (ß = 0.41 and ß = 0.40, respectively; p < 0.001). All the key latent variables explained significantly 23% of the variance in the career decision-making behavioral intentions module. In conclusion, the COVID-19 attitude scale is valid. Although the prelicensure nursing students’ COVID-19 attitudes had no direct effect on career decision-making intentions, they had a direct effect on career decision-making attitudes and the perceived control.


2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olubunmi Olusola Bankole ◽  
Folake Barakat Lawal

Misconceptions about the teething process has led to high infant morbidity and mortality, which was recently experienced in Nigeria due to consumption of an adulterated drug used in the prevention and treatment of teething-related illnesses in infants. It is however, unknown if these misconceptions still persist in a rural town in Nigeria despite oral health awareness campaigns targeted at this. The aim of this study is to assess the beliefs and practices of residents in Igbo Ora, a rural township in Nigeria, regarding the teething process. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 393 adults in Igbo Ora using a 33-item, semistructured questionnaire. Symptoms such as diarrhea (80.7%), fever (69.2%), and boils (64.4%) were still considered as a must to accompany teething. Teething powder, teething syrup, and traditional concoctions were commonly recommended by (42.0%), (31.6%), and (48.1%) of the respondents, respectively, to treat and prevent teething symptoms. This study revealed that misconceptions about teething are still highly prevalent among the populace in Igbo Ora, and a structured oral health education intervention at the community level is urgently needed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (22) ◽  
pp. 1412-1417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toomas Timpka ◽  
Staffan Janson ◽  
Jenny Jacobsson ◽  
Örjan Dahlström ◽  
Armin Spreco ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo examine associations between lifetime sexual and physical abuse, and the likelihood of injury within and outside sport in athletes involved in competitive athletics.MethodsA cross sectional study was performed among the top 10 Swedish athletics athletes using 1 year prevalence of sports and non-sports injuries as the primary outcome measure. Associations with sociodemographic characteristics, lifetime abuse history and training load were investigated. Data were analysed using simple and multiple logistic regression models.Results11% of 197 participating athletes reported lifetime sexual abuse; there was a higher proportion of women (16.2%) than men (4.3%) (P=0.005). 18% reported lifetime physical abuse; there was a higher proportion of men (22.8%) than women (14.3%) (P=0.050). For women, lifetime sexual abuse was associated with an increased likelihood of a non-sports injury (OR 8.78, CI 2.76 to 27.93; P<0.001). Among men, increased likelihood of a non-sports injury was associated with more frequent use of alcoholic beverages (OR 6.47, CI 1.49 to 28.07; P=0.013), while commencing athletics training at >13 years of age was associated with a lower likelihood of non-sports injury (OR 0.09, CI 0.01 to 0.81; P=0.032). Lifetime physical abuse was associated with a higher likelihood of sports injury in women (OR 12.37, CI 1.52 to 100.37; P=0.019). Among men, athletes with each parents with ≤12 years formal education had a lower likelihood of sustaining an injury during their sports practice (OR 0.37, CI 0.14 to 0.96; P=0.040).ConclusionsLifetime sexual and physical abuse were associated with an increased likelihood of injury among female athletes. Emotional factors should be included in the comprehension of injuries sustained by athletes.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olufemi Oludare Aluko ◽  
Jireh Ngozi Udechukwu ◽  
Oluwaseun Anthonia Loto ◽  
Ayoola Oluwaniyi Orisawayi ◽  
Grace Ojodomo Ojogba ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Menarche and menstruation are natural procedures in a girl’s transition to womanhood. Lack of awareness thereof, before menarche and stigmatizing menstrual hygiene management (MHM) perception and experiences predominate in low resource economies and influences attitude. The study aims to determine and compare the attitude of adolescents attending public and private schools on menstruation and MHM in the study area.Methods: The cross-sectional study recruited 357 respondents, comprising of 177 and 180 female adolescents from public and private schools through a three-stage sampling technique. The study administered a validated, semi-structured questionnaire that was facilitated self-administered. Descriptive and inferential statistics presented results, while binary logistic regression identified predictors of attitude at Pά0.05.Results: Except for religion, other socio-demographic characteristics (age, class, ethnicity, whom adolescents’ lives with, highest education and wealth) were significantly different between public and private schools. However, respondents in public schools were older (15.4±1.75 years) when compared with those attending private schools (14.3±1.18 years). On attitude, negative feelings and openness scales were significantly different between respondents attending public and private schools, while those of positive feelings, menstrual symptoms, acceptance of menarche and living with menstruation were respectively similar at Pα0.05. Overall attitude scale indicated a higher negative rating (87.4) when compared with a positive score (12.6%). With a positive attitude as a reference, ethnicity was the only negative attitude predictor (Pα0.05).Conclusions: Adolescents attending public and private schools have negative attitudes toward menstruation and MHM. Therefore, awareness and puberty education through ethnic constructs, on menstruation and MHM before menarche is indispensable to improve their attitude.


BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e020931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Gurong Jiang ◽  
Yihan Sun ◽  
Xia Zhao ◽  
Xiaosong Yu

ObjectivesThe aims of this study were to develop the Chinese version of the Communication Skills Attitude Scale (CSAS-Ch) in order to test the psychometric properties of the modified instrument.DesignA cross-sectional study was conducted in September 2016 to evaluate the attitudes of Chinese medical students towards communication skills learning using CSAS at China Medical University.ParticipantsThe study recruited 510 fifth-year medical students by cluster sampling.MethodsCronbach’s α coefficients were calculated for the entire questionnaire and for the subscales to evaluate the internal consistency of the CSAS-Ch. In order to determine the structure underlying the CSAS, the scale was factor analysed using maximum likelihood extraction and the oblique rotation method.ResultsOf the 510 medical students, 492 (96.5%) completed the questionnaire. Cronbach’s α coefficient for the CSAS scale was 0.897. Exploratory factor analysis showed that the four-factor structure accounted for 59.8% of the variance and produced an acceptable fit to the data.ConclusionsThe modified CSAS-Ch can be used to evaluate attitudes towards communication skills. Further Future research for improving the teaching methods for communication skills should explore the relationship between medical students’ attitudes and the demographic characteristics.


2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 35-45
Author(s):  
Dona Stefanović ◽  
Dunja Stankić ◽  
Stefan Stoisavljević ◽  
Olivera Vuković

Hypochondria is a mental disorder characterized by a preoccupation with fears that a person may be ill or suffering from a serious illness, based on a misinterpretation of problems that cannot be eliminated by appropriate medical reassurance. A special type of hypochondriasis known as Medical Student Syndrome (MSS) refers to student's fears and beliefs that they are ill or may become ill with the illnesses they are learning while studying in pre-clinical and clinical subjects. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the winter semester of the 2019/2020 school year, with a sample of 90 students of the first, third, and sixth year of the Faculty of Medicine, sampled on a random basis. Subjects completed the Illness Attitude Scale (IAS). The aim of study was to investigate whether there is a difference in the incidence of hypochondrial tendencies and beliefs in the students of the Faculty of Medicine in relation to the year of study. The mean values on certain subscales were statistically significantly higher in students of third compared to students of first and sixth year of medicine. Students who have not renewed a year were found to have significantly higher average scores on the Disease Concerns and Pain Concerns subscale, as well as Disease phobia compared to those who renewed the year, while Hypochondrial beliefs were statistically significantly higher in subjects who renewed the year compared to students who had not renewed the year. The presented results support the hypothesis that health anxiety and all its components among the medical students at the preclinical level is most pronounced in the third year of study, and that it shows declining trend in the later stages of study.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1135
Author(s):  
Ioanna Kontele ◽  
Maria G. Grammatikopoulou ◽  
Tonia Vassilakou

Adolescent female gymnasts are a vulnerable population in terms of their diet, as their nutritional needs are higher due to their growth and high daily training demands. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a well-known dietary pattern that is associated with a greater nutritional adequacy and a lower prevalence of overweight. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the degree of adherence to the MD among adolescent female athletes who participated in all disciplines of gymnastics in Greece, as well as to explore the potential correlations between MD adherence, body weight, and body mass index (BMI). A total of 269 female gymnasts (between 11–18 years old) completed the Mediterranean Diet Quality Index (KIDMED) and reported their weight and height. Approximately 10% of the participants were underweight and a mere 5.6% were classified as overweight. A high adherence to the MD was reported by 34.9% of the sample and this was correlated with a healthier BMI. Moreover, specific eating habits, such as eating nuts 2–3 times per week and eating fast-food less than once-weekly, were also associated with BMI. Athletes, parents, and coaches of gymnastics should be informed and educated regarding balanced nutrition habits. Future studies could evaluate adherence to MD, as well as the factors that influence the eating behaviors of adolescent female and male athletes in various sports.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e042188
Author(s):  
Takuji Yokoe ◽  
Takuya Tajima ◽  
Nami Yamaguchi ◽  
Makoto Nagasawa ◽  
Tomomi Ota ◽  
...  

ObjectivesMedical examinations for adult elite athletes are performed all over the world, however, no studies in the relevant English literature have reported on orthopaedic medical examinations for young amateur athletes. The purpose of this study was to report the results of orthopaedic medical examinations of the spine and lower extremities in young amateur athletes.MethodsThis repeated cross-sectional study from 2014 to 2018 included a total of 323 young amateur athletes (age, 12–18 years) who were active in one of the following four sports: boxing, canoeing, weightlifting and track and field. The orthopaedic medical examination consisted of six assessments (physical examinations, the generalised joint laxity, muscle and joint tightness, static alignment and muscle volume of the lower extremities and the medial longitudinal arch of the foot). Questions regarding pain in the spine and lower extremities were also performed.ResultsAmong 323 young amateur athletes, 17 (5.3%) had received orthopaedic treatment at the time of the medical examination, with spondylolysis being the most common cause (29.4%, 5/17). Among 306 young athletes who had not received orthopaedic treatment, 61 (19.9%) had at least one positive finding in physical examinations or had pain in the spine or lower extremities. Anterior drawer test of the ankle and Kemp test for the spine accounted for 34% and 28% of positive findings, respectively. Low back pain and knee pain accounted for 58% and 16% of pain, respectively.ConclusionsThe present study showed that approximately one-fifth of young amateur athletes who had not received orthopaedic treatment had pain in the spine and lower extremities and positive findings in physical examinations that may require orthopaedic treatments. In addition to the early detection of injuries, orthopaedic medical examinations for young amateur athletes provide an opportunity to educate such athletes.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document