Strengthening the capacity of anti-doping education

Abstract

Introduction. Contemporary sports activity is regarded as a complex phenomenon, involving both physical components, as well as a series of medical, legal, ethical and economic aspects. The essential element in promoting Olympic values is the spirit of clean sport, professional ethics and awareness of national athletes. Nowadays a lot of heated discussions on doping and its detrimental effects mark the world sport.

Doping becomes a dangerous phenomenon, with disastrous consequences for athletes, coaches, doctors and authorities. It is important to study this phenomenon in order to elucidate the social, moral and educational factors that contribute to perpetuating the practice of doping among national athletes, medical and didactic staff. The anti-doping process involves a complex of methods, with doping prevention by anti-doping education as the key one. The aim of the study was to evaluate from a bioethical perspective the effectiveness of anti-doping education of national athletes, medical and didactic staff during 2020.

Material and methods. The study design was approved by Ethics Committee of Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy. The interdisciplinary approach was proposed to study the practices and effects of doping on the health of athletes from a bioethical perspective – that is, studying the societal values that promote doping, the ethical, legal and medical framework of doping.

The research was performed by applying the adjusted WADA questionnaire, the use of on-line programs, the psycho-pedagogical methods of training and the evaluation from a bioethical perspective of the obtained results within meetings and workshops with the national sports federations and the national athletes, medical and didactic staff.

Results. The research identified an acute shortage of anti-doping specialists in Republic of  Moldova. The standard prevention and eradication methods used by the National Anti-Doping Agency and its assemblies have positive effects resulted with reducing doping violations by national athletes, medical and didactic staff. It has been establish that effectiveness of anti-doping education depends on specific methods required for particular groups. Thus, online programs were more beneficial for young athletes, the workshops for adults, and the psycho-pedagogical methods for medical and didactic staff.

Conclusions.

(i) There is a lack of competent anti-doping specialists in Republic of Moldova. (ii) The anti-doping educational methods used by National Anti-Doping Agency are effective and have beneficial effect. (iii) The particular groups require specific teaching methods of anti-doping education to be applied. (iv) The methodological, legislative and normative recommendations for the prevention and eradication of doping phenomenon must be elaborated.