Self-Affirmation and Image/Performance Enhancing Drug Use in Recreational Exercise.

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Public Health
• Psychology

Background:

• Image and performance enhancement drugs (IPEDs) use in recreational sports is a growing public health concern.
• Understanding factors influencing IPEDs intentions is crucial for developing effective interventions.
• Self-affirmation strategies are explored as a potential method to modify health-related behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if self-affirmation influences exercisers' intentions to use IPEDs.
• To examine the mediating roles of mental construal and message acceptance in this relationship.
• To identify key social cognitive variables associated with IPEDs use intentions.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-eight recreational exercisers with self-reported IPEDs use were recruited.
• Participants were randomly assigned to a self-affirmation or a control group.
• Data collected included message acceptance, mental construal, doping intentions, and social cognitive variables.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in IPEDs intentions were found between the self-affirmed and control groups.
• Hierarchical linear regression revealed message acceptance, subjective norms, and situational temptation significantly predicted IPEDs use intentions.
• Self-affirmation did not mediate the relationship between the health message and IPEDs intentions.

Conclusions:

• Self-affirmation may not be an effective strategy to reduce IPEDs use intentions in this population.
• Recreational exercisers may perceive IPEDs use primarily as a health issue rather than a moral transgression.
• Interventions should consider addressing health perceptions and social-cognitive factors influencing IPEDs use.