Doping among adolescent-athletes: A review of correlates and preventive strategies
The phenomenon of doping in sports constitutes a problem amongst both adult and adolescent athletes. The use of performance-enhancing drugs can entail heavy negative consequences for teenagers over both short and long terms. To better understand the etiology behind the intention to use and the action of consuming performance drugs in pupils-athletes, this article proposes a critical analysis of results from empirical studies published in the last years. The results of the studies consulted show the role played by certain characteristics of the pupils-athletes, but also their environment in the emergence of doping in sports. They suggest the importance of early intervention, through both informative and cognitive education, to prevent the intention to use performance-enhancing drugs in adolescents. Moreover, the active participation of pupils-athletes, their peers, parents and coaches is highly recommended. Finally, considering that the literature on the prevention of doping in sports among pupils-athletes is scarce, it is essential to pursue efforts in the development of effective evidence-based prevention programs.