Qvarfordt Anna, Svedsäter Göran, Fagher Kristina, Bjerkefors Anna, Blomqvist Sven
Department of Occupational Health, Psychology and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden.
Department of Health Sciences, Rehabilitation Medicine Research Group, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
Front Sports Act Living. 2024 Apr 25;6:1375359. doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1375359. eCollection 2024.
A well-functioning anti-doping system relies on being perceived by athletes as effective, fair, and practically feasible to implement. While research has highlighted the views of Olympic athletes on anti-doping over the past decade, the experiences and perceptions of Para athletes have not been extensively explored. The purpose of this study was to examine Swedish elite Para athletes' experiences and perceptions of the policy and practice of the anti-doping system.
A quantitative cross-sectional approach was used, with a web survey elaborated from a survey with Olympic athletes adjusted for Para athletes with physical, visual, and intellectual impairments. The sample consisted of 66 active Para athletes competing at national or international level (response rate 71%). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and differences between subgroups were examined Fisher's exact test. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze open-ended questions.
Most of the respondents expressed a positive outlook on the anti-doping system, advocating for comprehensive efforts. A significant portion (35%) had not received anti-doping education, with those who did reporting increased confidence in avoiding unintentional doping. Despite their elite status, half of the respondents had not undergone doping control. Mistrust regarding the system's effectiveness and fairness was identified, with over half of the participants emphasizing the need for new technical solutions to enhance procedures specifically tailored for Para athletes.
The athletes in this study advocate for a Para sports-focused approach in the anti-doping system, emphasizing equal testing opportunities, procedural adjustments for independence and privacy, and increased access to education. The findings illuminate the unique conditions faced by athletes with impairments within the anti-doping system, offering valuable insights for policymaking in the development of anti-doping strategies tailored to Para athletes and their various impairments.
一个运作良好的反兴奋剂系统要让运动员认为其有效、公平且在实际操作中可行。尽管过去十年的研究突出了奥运选手对反兴奋剂的看法，但对残奥运动员的经历和看法尚未进行广泛探讨。本研究的目的是调查瑞典优秀残奥运动员对反兴奋剂系统政策和实践的经历与看法。
采用定量横断面研究方法，通过对一份针对奥运选手的调查问卷进行调整，设计出一份网络调查问卷，以适应身体、视力和智力有障碍的残奥运动员。样本包括66名参加国家或国际比赛的现役残奥运动员（回复率71%）。使用描述性统计分析数据，并通过费舍尔精确检验检查亚组之间的差异。采用主题分析法分析开放式问题。
大多数受访者对反兴奋剂系统持积极态度，主张全面努力。相当一部分（35%）受访者未接受过反兴奋剂教育，接受过教育的受访者表示在避免无意使用兴奋剂方面更有信心。尽管他们具有精英地位，但一半的受访者未接受过兴奋剂检查。发现了对该系统有效性和公平性的不信任，超过一半的参与者强调需要新的技术解决方案，以改进专门为残奥运动员量身定制的程序。
本研究中的运动员主张在反兴奋剂系统中采用以残奥运动为重点的方法，强调平等的检测机会、为保障独立性和隐私而进行的程序调整，以及增加接受教育的机会。这些发现揭示了反兴奋剂系统中残障运动员面临的独特情况，为制定针对残奥运动员及其各种障碍的反兴奋剂战略的政策提供了宝贵见解。
