DOPING-RELATED KNOWLEDGE AMONG ADOLESCENTS: DIFFERENCES BY SEX AND EDUCATION SYSTEM

Resumo

This article aimed to investigate the level of doping-related knowledge among high school students and examine differences according to sex and school type. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with 589 high school students (50.9% girls; mean age = 16.17 years) from public (state and federal) and private schools. Doping-related knowledge was assessed using the Knowledge domain of a structured questionnaire addressing knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes. Analyses were performed using a 3 × 2 factorial ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test. Adolescents demonstrated a moderate level of knowledge on the topic. The ANOVA indicated higher knowledge levels among boys from federal schools and lower levels among girls from state schools (p < 0.05). It is concluded that doping-related knowledge among adolescents varies according to educational context and sex, highlighting the need for targeted anti-doping education strategies within the school setting.