Author(s): Mayur Shinde and Tusharkanti Bera

Abstract:
Context: The use of performance enhancing drugs such as narcotics is increasing rapidly in sports persons despite ill effects on health and well-being. Although sports authorities published a list of banned drugs every year, however, the sportsmen do not have knowledge about the banned drugs and their ill effects. Objective: The objective of this study was to develop a standard questionnaire that can assess the knowledge on narcotics in sports persons. Method: This is a developmental research wherein a questionnaire on “Knowledge of narcotic drug and its utilization” has been standardized considering three dimensions i.e. Demography of sports person, Knowledge of health complications appear due to drug abuse, and Drugs mostly abused by sports persons. According to the dimension, 72 questions (test items) were framed and validated by 10 experts (sport medicine and psychology) for comments and modification if any. The modified questionnaire was administered primarily on 30 randomly selected sports persons, age 18 to 27 yrs., as first tryout and reframed the questionnaire taking into account subjects’ comments and responses and then re-administered on the same sample after a gap of one month. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire has been established by using test-retest and split half method. The preliminary form of the questionnaire has been administered on a large sample (20% of the male population i.e., n=1153) and the data have been substantiated to item-analysis, item discrimination and factor analysis. Further, coefficients of reliability and validity have been re-established considering the data of large sample. Finally, gradable Norms have been established. This, in fact, ensured the final form of the questionnaire. Results: The results indicate that the new questionnaire could retain 60 items (questions) with five alternative answers (Likert’s five point scale). The coefficients of reliability and validity were 0.70 and 0.73 respectively. It seems the norms (Sk=-0.177, σ_sk=0.010, Ku=0.761^lk, σ_ku=0.015, where distribution is bell shaped with 1σ, 2σ, 3σ were 65.35%, 94.41% and 100% respectively) and grading system were reliable and valid. Conclusion: The questionnaire can assess the status of “Knowledge on narcotics, its impact and utilization” among the elite players with acceptable reliability and validity.

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