Developing and evaluating the CREST Anti-Doping Programme

Summary

The objectives of this study are:  1) to develop an anti-doping protocol for u-17 soccer players, guided by Chaos theory, and with the aid of specialists in the fields of physics, psychology and sport science, and 2) to determine the knowledge, attitudes and practices of u-17 soccer players regarding doping in sport, post the anti-doping protocol intervention.

 
Methodology

The study used a mixed methods study design, using both quantitative (questionnaires) and qualitative (focus group discussions) methods. A quasiexperimental research design was employed to determine the effect of the intervention on behaviour change. The target population was u-17 male development soccer players in the eThekwini region, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. There are approximately 400 registered soccer league teams in the eThekwini region. Female teams were excluded as there are only social leagues. A purposive sampling technique selected 10 teams and randomly assigned them to a control group and the anti-doping protocol group; hence, five teams per group.

Results

There was significant improvement in the general perceptions of, and attitudes to, doping in sport across all teams in the C.R.E.S.T anti-doping protocol group, post-intervention. Furthermore, teams in the C.R.E.S.T anti-doping protocol group were more knowledgeable about prohibited supplements, as well as where to get information on doping in sport. There were significant changes in behaviour regarding the consumption of cannabis, alcohol, smoking and other prohibited substances before and after matches, as well as a better understanding of the consequences if caught doping in sport across all teams of the C.R.E.S.T anti-doping group, post-intervention. A significant improvement was found in the WADA quiz scores, which focused on the harmful effects of doping, as well as testing procedures for doping, across all teams in the C.R.E.S.T anti-doping protocol group post-intervention.

Significance for Clean Sport

The C.R.E.S.T anti-doping protocol produced improvements in the perceptions, attitudes and behaviour regarding doping in sport among u-17 soccer players. Furthermore, results from this study suggest that changing the starting point for an anti-doping intervention can contribute to more improved outcomes.