Doping in Two Elite Athletics Competitions Assessed by Randomized-Response Surveys.
Level 4 - case-series / case-control
Cross-sectional survey using randomized-response technique
PubMed 28849386 · doi:10.1007/s40279-017-0765-4
What was done
Researchers surveyed 2167 athletes at two major events in 2011: the 13th IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, and the 12th Quadrennial Pan-Arab Games in Doha, Qatar. To estimate past-year doping prevalence while ensuring participant anonymity, they used a randomized-response technique. A control question assessing past-year supplement use was administered at the Pan-Arab Games, and sensitivity analyses tested scenarios of respondent noncompliance.
What was found
The estimated prevalence of past-year doping was 43.6% (95% CI 39.4-47.9) at the World Championships in Athletics and 57.1% (95% CI 52.4-61.8) at the Pan-Arab Games. Past-year supplement use at the Pan-Arab Games was estimated at 70.1% (95% CI 65.6-74.7%). Sensitivity analyses suggested that noncompliance was unlikely to have overestimated the true prevalence.
Why it matters
These results indicate that doping among elite athletes is far more prevalent (40–57%) than biological testing rates (1–2% positive tests) or Athlete Biological Passport estimates (~14%) suggest, demonstrating major limitations in routine anti-doping detection methods.
Limits
The study is an indirect survey-based statistical estimation rather than biological confirmation. Findings are restricted to two specific 2011 athletic events, and the abstract does not report response rates, breakdowns by athletic discipline, or the specific prohibited substances involved.
Cited by
- supports World Anti-Doping Agency data indicates that up to 40% of Olympic-level athletes currently use or have used banned performance-enhancing substances.