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. 2024 May 30:15:1357566.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1357566. eCollection 2024.

Profile of gym-goers who do not use performance-enhancement substances

Ana Sofia R Tavares  1 , Elisabete Carolino  1 , Pedro Teques  2   3 , Luis Calmeiro  4   5 , Sidonio Serpa  6
Affiliations

Profile of gym-goers who do not use performance-enhancement substances

Ana Sofia R Tavares et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Introduction: Currently the use of prohibited performance-enhancing substances (PES) in fitness and gym settings is a public health concern as adverse health consequences are emerging. Understanding the characteristics of gym-goers who do not use these substances could lead to an important complement to the ongoing research about risk factors for PES use. The aim of this study was to identify the profile of PES non-use in gym-goers.

Methods: In total, 453 gym-goers (mean age = 35.64 years; SD = 13.08 - measure of central tendency location and measure of absolute dispersion, respectively) completed an online survey assessing sociodemographic factors, exercise characteristics, gym modalities, peers, social influence, attitudes, subjective norms, beliefs, intentions, and self-reported use of PES.

Results: Decision Trees showed that being a woman, training less frequently, not practicing bodybuilding and having a negative intention to consume PES were identified as characteristics of non-users of PES.

Discussion: These results may support evidence-based anti-doping interventions to prevent abusive use of PES in the fitness context.

Keywords: behavior intentions; characteristic; decision trees; doping; gym-goers; substance use.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Decision tree for sociodemographic characteristics.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Decision tree for activities practiced, training frequency, and training time.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Decision tree for beliefs, subjective norms, attitudes, and intention.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Decision tree for global profile.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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