Doping in sports refers to the violation of one or more anti-doping rules, including the consumption of banned performance-enhancing substances (e.g., drugs) and/or the application of prohibited techniques (e.g., the use of masking agents that prevent standard procedures from tracing prohibited substances in athletes’ blood or urine specimens). Slovenia is certainly vulnerable to doping behavior as well, which is clearly evidenced by recent doping-offenses in Slovenian sport, including swimming. The aims of this research were: to evidence doping attitudes and potential doping behavior (PDB) current or potential usage of doping-substances and/or prohibited techniques) in Slovenian swimming; and to establish the associations which may exist between different sociodemographic-, sport-related-, motivational-factors (i.e. task- and ego-motivation), and knowledge of doping and sport nutrition (predictors), and PDB (criterion) in Slovenian swimmers. Slovenian swimmers (n = 301) aged 13 to 27 years, were included in the research. Variables were collected by previously validated questionnaires including questionnaire of substance use, task-and-ego-motivation-, knowledge on doping and knowledge on sport-nutrition-questionnaire. Statistics included descriptive statistics (means, standard deviations or frequencies, and percentages; depending on parametric/nonparametric nature of the data), calculation of differences between and within groups, calculation of Odds Ratio and corresponding 95% confidence intervals, and different models of correlation and regression calculations (logistic and multinominal models). Results showed higher susceptibility to doping in males. Achieved sport-result in Olympic- and non-Olympic-disciplines were found to be protective against PDB. Task-motivation was correlated to PDB. In brief, it is probable that those swimmers who are more oriented toward task-execution will be maximally and persistently involved in training despite their eventual low-achievement with regard to current tasks. Almost certainly, this is one of the most important training-related goals of swimming coaches in Slovenia. Remaining factors were not found to be correlated with PDB. Results will be used in the development of targeted anti-doping campaign and anti-doping educational programs in swimming.
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