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

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Sports Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Universities are key in shaping healthcare professionals' ethical and medical knowledge.
• Anti-doping education integration into medical curricula is under-researched.
• Future physicians require robust anti-doping knowledge for their roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess medical students' understanding of anti-doping principles in Mexico.
• To identify knowledge gaps in anti-doping regulations among future physicians.

Main Methods:

• A validated questionnaire, adapted from the World Anti-Doping Agency's Play True Quiz, was administered to 549 medical students across six Mexican universities.
• The questionnaire comprised 36 multiple-choice questions assessing general anti-doping knowledge.
• Scores were standardized to a 0-100 scale.

Main Results:

• The average anti-doping knowledge score was 55.30 ± 9.08.
• Over 50% of students answered 14 questions incorrectly, indicating significant knowledge deficits.
• While participation in sports correlated with higher scores (p=0.008), the medical course itself did not significantly impact knowledge (p>0.05).

Conclusions:

• Medical students in Mexico possess suboptimal knowledge of essential anti-doping regulations and prevention strategies.
• Inclusion of comprehensive doping prevention education in medical degree syllabi is crucial.
• Enhanced training will help future doctors prevent professional errors related to doping.