Doping prevention in adolescence: findings from a chat-bot assisted educational program for high school students

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Digital Health
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Doping is prevalent in sports, with many adolescents considering anabolic steroids for muscle gain.
• Web-based interventions, including chatbots, are emerging for doping prevention.
• The LUDO Project utilized a chatbot for adolescent education on doping.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the LUDO Project, a chatbot-assisted educational program for adolescents.
• To evaluate the impact of a chatbot on adolescent knowledge regarding doping.

Main Methods:

• 176 adolescents (13-19 years) participated in the study.
• 90 participants used the LUDO chatbot for two months; 86 received standard information.
• An 18-item questionnaire assessed knowledge of doping substances, risks, and consequences.

Main Results:

• LUDO users showed significantly higher doping knowledge than non-users.
• Chatbot users scored an average of 4 points higher on the knowledge test.
• Results were robust after adjusting for sex, age, and sports participation.

Conclusions:

• The LUDO chatbot effectively enhanced adolescent understanding of doping risks.
• Digital interventions are valuable tools for educational doping prevention.
• Further research should assess long-term effects and broader applicability of digital tools.