Painkilling Drugs in Collegiate Athletics: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Use of Student Athletes

Nov 25, 2000Journal of drug education

Student athletes' knowledge, attitudes, and use of painkillers in college sports

AI simplified

Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Twenty-nine percent of the 563 surveyed student athletes reported no issue with using painkilling drugs on competition day.

Many student athletes indicated a willingness to use painkillers to mask injuries and continue competing.
Perceptions of societal norms and expectations may influence the decision to use painkilling drugs.
The degree of control student athletes feel over their use of painkillers may impact their risk of abuse.
Attitudes and beliefs about painkiller use are linked to intentions and behaviors regarding their consumption.
Recommendations are provided for stakeholders to address concerns about painkiller use among student athletes.

AI simplified

This study was designed to examine the attitudes of student athletes toward the use of painkilling drugs. A total of 563 student athletes at two Division One NCAA universities were surveyed in this study. Twenty-nine percent of the student athletes (n = 165) reported that they felt there is nothing wrong with using painkilling drugs on the day of competition (when injured) to cope with pain. These student athletes reported that they would use painkilling drugs to mask injury in order to continue to participate in their sport. Student athletes' perceptions of societal norms and expectations related to competition, and the degree of control student athletes perceive that they have when deciding to use painkillers, may be important determinants governing the extent to which they may be at risk for abusing these substances. Research on planned behavior and reasoned action against suggests that salient beliefs affect intentions and subsequent behaviors, either through attitudes or subjective norms, or the degree of (perceived) control that an individual feels he/she has over the behavior [1, 2]. This theoretical model was used as a guiding framework for analyzing the attitudes of college athletes toward painkilling drugs. Recommendations are included in this article for coaches, educators, team physicians, team trainers, and administrators who are concerned about controlling the use and abuse of painkilling drugs by student athletes.

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View full text (PDF) ↗View full text ↗

Painkilling Drugs in Collegiate Athletics: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Use of Student Athletes

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief