The aim of this study was to investigate the effects that the knowledge and understanding of doping have on sports value consciousness among elementary and middle school students, as well as to examine the effectiveness of anti-doping education.
Our survey revealed: (1) Knowledge and understanding of the term “doping” were low, especially among elementary school students. (2) For all grades, there was a tendency among those with less knowledge and understanding of the term to accept doping. Those familiar with the term, on the other hand, rejected doping in favor of fair play.
These results suggest that it may be possible to improve sports value consciousness through the use of anti-doping education.
Italy, England, and other leaders in anti-doping education adopt a campaign-based approach. The Japanese educational environment, however, should lend itself to a more thorough approach incorporated into the regular curriculum.
The Japan Anti-Doping Agency (JADA), Japan Olympic Committee (JOC), Japan Amateur Sports Association, and others have therefore agreed to cooperate and coordinate. This is because they feel that enhancing lessons on drugs and drug abuse to foster proper anti-doping knowledge and awareness from elementary school onward will constitute the key steps in molding healthy sports value consciousness, and thus become the engine driving higher sports values.
