Purpose. The study aims to answer three questions: (1) What do Polish athletes know about doping control and the World Anti-Doping Code? (2) What are their attitudes toward doping and anti-doping policies? (3) How are the athletes` knowledge and attitudes related to selected socio-demographic variables - age, sex, duration of sports career, type of sport (team, individual). Basic procedures. 830 athletes (including 263 females) filled in an anonymous questionnaire to assess their knowledge about and attitudes toward doping and anti-doping policy. Main findings. The subjects provided merely 45.22% of positive answers to questionnaire items assessing knowledge. The highest percentage of correc responses was observed in item is related to the knowledge of athlete` rights and responsibilities (50.75%), while the lowest in items about anti-doping principles and procedures (41.77%). The respondents` attitudes were diagnosed as moderately positive (M 3.90, SD 0.07). The most positive was their attitude toward doping control (M 4.12, SD 0.82), while the least positive was their attitude toward sanctions (M 3.68, SD 0.79). Some differences in attitudes and knowledge were observed. In relation to attitudes significant differences were noted between female and male athletes (Wilks` 0.96; F (4, 780) = 8.55; p = 0.000), with higher results achieved by female athletes; and between age groups (Wilks` 0.95; F (8, 1558) = 4.63; p = 0.000) from which the group of 18-24-year-olds achieved higher results than the remaining two age groups. Differences in the knowledge were observed in relation to subjects` sex, age, type of sport and duration of sport career. Conclusions. Athletes` knowledge of doping control is far from satisfactory. The subjects` attitudes are positive; however, their s trength is moderate. The results of the study suggest that campaigns aimed at anti-doping education among Polish athletes should be intensified in relation to their knowledge of the problem and attitudes toward it.
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