Anti-Doping Knowledge Among Medical Bachelor's Degree Students in Mexico

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Universities serve as crucibles for molding future healthcare providers, instilling medical expertise and ethical frameworks crucial for their role as custodians of health. Yet, integrating anti-doping education into university curricula remains largely underexplored, particularly among future physicians. The aim of this research was to evaluate the students' understanding of anti-doping within the bachelor's degree in medicine in Mexico. Methods: Five hundred and forty-nine bachelor students in medicine (151 males, 351 females, and 7 participants identifying as non-binary) from six universities in Mexico filled out a validated questionnaire regarding general anti-doping knowledge. This questionnaire was an adapted form of the World Anti-Doping Agency's Play True Quiz and included 36 multiple-choice questions. The results were converted into a scale from 0 to 100 points to evaluate anti-doping knowledge. Results: Students scored 55.30 ± 9.08 points (range = 28-83 points). Fourteen questions indicated an error rate higher than 50% within the sample. The course had no impact on the scores achieved in the anti-doping knowledge questionnaire (p > 0.05). Students who engaged in sports demonstrated higher scores in anti-doping knowledge compared to those who did not participate in any type of exercise (56.10 ± 9.04 vs. 54.19 ± 9.10 points; p = 0.008). Conclusions: It was determined that the knowledge of essential anti-doping regulations and doping prevention strategies among bachelor's degree medical students in Mexico was found to be suboptimal. Doping prevention should be included in the syllabus of the bachelor's degree in medicine to help future doctors avoid professional errors, whether negligent or intentional.

Keywords: doping substances; education; sports performance; supporting personnel.

Figure 1

Frequency of Mexican bachelor students studying a degree in medicine based on their understanding of anti-doping as evaluated by a modified version of the WADA Play True Quiz.

Figure 2

Rate of error in the questions of the adapted version of the WADA Play True Quiz in Mexican bachelor students of the degree in medicine.

Figure 3

Scores in the adapted version of the WADA Play True Quiz of students undertaking a degree in medicine in Mexican universities according to their course. Data for each course are presented as mean ± standard deviation.

Figure 4

Score in the adapted version of the WADA Play True Quiz in Mexican bachelor students registered in sports federations. (*) Different from students not registered in sports federations at p < 0.050.

Figure 5

Score in the adapted version of the WADA Play True Quiz in Mexican bachelor students who practiced any form of exercise or sport. (*) Different from students who did not practice any form of exercise at p < 0.050.