Data investigation on the performance-enhancing drugs spread in Italy among young athletes: Prevention trough education and the fight against doping in sport

Introduction: Substances and methods capable of improving athletic performance have been one of thegreatest concerns in elite sport community. It is a serious danger to sport and health. The teacher, coach andeducator play an important role in the "physically" training of educated people and in culture of healthpromotion. Methodology: The study combines a bibliographic research about education importance in dopingprevention and the Italian data analysis in doping spread for attention among young athletes (<19). Thebibliographic sources were identified on Scopus, PubMed and ScienceDirect. The data relating about dopingspread were extrapolated by reports of the Italian Ministry of Health. The time frame considered from 2018(latest available data) to 2013. Results: The available data show that 2014 had the highest number ofpositives (58) and that, starting from that year, the doped athletes number was significantly lower up to 13 in2018. On young people <19 an almost irrelevant positives number can be seen. Even in 2014 the positivesnumber was 0. Conclusion: This study shows data on the doping prevalence and the result of WADA'sidentification of educational programs and research on social prevention as strategic priorities for thedevelopment of evidence-based anti-doping education.