Development and validation of the adolescent Sport Drug Inventory (ASDI) and factors that influence attitudes among adolescents

Summary

The project aimed to develop and validate a questionnaire called the Adolescent Sport Doping Inventory (ASDI). This tool is designed to measure attitudes and factors related to doping among young athletes. The research was conducted in three phases, involving athletes and coaches from various countries, to understand what influences young athletes' views on doping and their likelihood to use performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).

Methodology

The research was divided into three phases:

• Phase 1: This phase focused on understanding coaches' perspectives on doping attitudes and susceptibility among adolescent athletes. Interviews were conducted with 11 coaches from different countries and sports to gather insights. The findings helped in developing the ASDI by identifying key factors influencing doping attitudes, such as threat, benefit, self-esteem, and morality.

• Phase 2: This phase involved the development and validation of the ASDI. The process included content validity, construction, initial validation, and test-retest reliability. The ASDI was tested with 600 adolescent athletes from the UK, Australia, Hong Kong, and the USA. The final version of the ASDI included 43 items across nine subscales.

• Phase 3: The ASDI was used to assess factors that might predict doping attitudes and susceptibility among adolescent athletes. This phase included studies on maturation, psychological stress, achievement goals, and environmental-social factors.

Results

The study successfully developed the ASDI, a reliable tool for assessing doping attitudes in adolescents. Key findings included:

• Coaches identified factors such as self-esteem, stress, and the influence of coaches, parents, and peers as significant in shaping young athletes' attitudes towards doping.
• The ASDI was validated as a robust measure across different countries, making it useful for international research.
• The research highlighted that young athletes' attitudes are influenced by their level of participation, age, and cultural background.

Significance for Clean Sport

This project provides a valuable tool for understanding and addressing doping in youth sports. By identifying the factors that influence young athletes' attitudes towards doping, the ASDI can help sports organizations and educators develop targeted anti-doping education and intervention programs. The findings emphasize the importance of addressing psychological and social influences on doping behavior, contributing to the global effort to promote clean sport and integrity among young athletes.

Related Publications

- The development and validation of the Adolescent Sport Drug Inventory (ASDI) among athletes from four continents.

- The Susceptibles, Chancers, Pragmatists, and Fair Players: An Examination of the Sport Drug Control Model for Adolescent Athletes, Cluster Effects, and Norm Values Among Adolescent Athletes