Prototype perceptions of the adolescent performance-enhancing substance user: A mixed methods study among Italian male recreational athletes

This study employed a sequential explanatory mixed-methods approach to investigate the perceptions of Italian male adolescents (aged 14-19) regarding the characteristics of a typical doping user in recreational sports. In the initial phase of the study, the survey data were subjected to analysis with a view to identifying the adjectives most commonly used to describe the prototypical image of a doping user. The statistical validity of the conceptual domains was tested using Explorato ry Structural Equation Modelling (ESEM). In Phase 2, focus group interviews were conducted with the objective of providing further insight into the quantitative results obtained in Phase 1. The findings indicate that the prototype is centred around four domains: approach to risk-taking, sportsmanship orientation, attitudes towards competition, and artificiality. The typical amateur substance user is described as having an unhealthy attitude towards competition, disregarding sportsmanship and health risks due to a lack of self-confidence and being susceptible to competitive and social pressure. Additionally, concerns about identity and the threat to authenticity and self-acceptance are significant. These findings may be utilised to focus interventions, allowing for the integration of prototype dimensions into their activities.