Compliance to the World Anti-Doping Program: A status evaluation of national sport organizations in Hong Kong

Summary

The present study aimed to assess the status of anti-doping works among the Hong Kong NSOs. Apart from this, the organizations’ readiness to change and to initiate / strengthen the anti-doping works was also studied from the point of view of administrator, coach, and committee member. It would appear that a great majority of NSOs in Hong Kong were at the contemplation stage in implementing anti-doping functions and that their major constraints were the limited financial and manpower resources.

Methodology

Phase I – Design of questionnaire -  Three NSOs of different sizes were invited to attend a face-to-face interview with a member of the research team who has good experience in anti-doping works. The purpose of the interview was to clarify the purpose and procedures of the study and to identify essential items that should be included in the self-reporting questionnaire and the structured interview that would be used for collection of data for the study.

Phase II – Collection of data -  Letters of invitation to participate in the research project, three copies of the finalized questionnaire were delivered to all NSOs in Hong Kong (excluding those that had participated in the Phrase I of study). Follow-up telephone calls were made to confirm participation. For those NSOs that voluntarily participated in the project, interview was conducted and questionnaires were collected during or after the interview session.

Results

Information obtained in the interview and questionnaire suggested that the majority of NSOs in Hong Kong were at the contemplation stage in implementing anti-doping functions. According to the theory of the TTM, individuals at the contemplation stage may start to realize that the target behavior is problematic but may not be ready to make any change (Prochaska, 2000). Furthermore, if they were pressured, they can be very resistant. Therefore, when cast into the present situation of NSOs in Hong Kong, educational workshops and realistic resource support are essential for moving them onto the next stage, namely, action stage.

Significance for Clean Sport

Information collected can serve as a starting point to design intervention program to help the Hong Kong NSOs to initiate / strengthen their anti-doping works and comply with the World Anti-Doping Code. The knowledge gained from this study could probably be applied to countries with similar anti-doping experience and profitably used by IFs, NADOs, and WADA when directing their resources and efforts.

Related publications
Compliance by Hong Kong’s National Sport Organizations With the World Anti-Doping Program