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309360
Athletic trainers' perceptions and practices regarding athlete use of dietary supplements and performance enhancing drugs
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Allison Pappenfuss, BA
,
Intercollegiate Athletics, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH
Amy Thompson, Ph.D., CHES
,
Department of Health and Recreation Professions, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH
Background: U.S. adults spend over $25 billion dollars annually on dietary supplements (DS) while evidence of performance enhancing drug (PED) use by top athletes is increasingly common. Long-term PED use causes lasting damage to the body while some DS have been implicated as gateway substances to PED use. Athletic trainers are charged with caring for the health needs of athletic populations. However, little is known about the perceptions, practices, and policies of athletic trainers in regards to client use of DS and PEDs. Methods: A 47-item questionnaire will be sent to a random sample of 720 athletic trainers listed in the National Athletic Trainers’ Association membership directory. Internal consistency reliability and content validity will be demonstrated prior to survey administration. Self-efficacy and the Health Belief Model informed survey construction. A three-wave mailing technique will be employed to increase response rate. The survey will be sent in March 2014. Results: A 60% response rate is anticipated based on results from similar studies. Reported results will include athletic trainer knowledge of the warning signs of PED use, trainer self-efficacy to counsel suspected PED users, and policies surrounding the administration of pain relief medications. Conclusions: Athletes of all ages are under increasing pressure to perform at a high level in order to compete for scholarships, fame, and fortune. Strategies for public health professional and athletic trainer collaboration to reduce PED use will be elaborated. Policy development will be discussed.
Learning Areas:
Other professions or practice related to public health
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
List at least five common warning signs of performance enhancing drug (PED) use.
Identify at least two ways public health professionals and athletic trainers can collaborate to reduce PED use.
Discuss the perceived benefits, barriers, and self-efficacy of athletic trainers to provide PED counseling to athletic populations.
Describe written policies surrounding PED use.
Keyword(s): Drug Abuse Prevention and Safety, Policy/Policy Development
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am an Assistant Professor of Public Health with a Ph.D. in Health Education. I teach graduate level classes in Research Methods, Statistics, Healthcare Administration, and Management. I am a Master Certified Health Education Specialist and have presented research findings at numerous national meetings including previous APHA conferences. I currently review manuscripts for Preventive Medicine, Preventing Chronic Disease, and the Journal of School Health as well as alcohol education grants for the NCAA CHOICES initiative.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
