None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Aim and hypothesis: This project aims to support the principles and aims of the Olympic Charter by developing and testing a preventative motivation theory informed and evidence-based intervention. Methods: The intervention will deliver anti-doping education and psychological training to support coaches’ in communicating with athletes in a needs supportive manner. The intervention will be compared against ‘usual practice’ (i.e., education programs run by National Anti-Doping Organizations). This is a multi-centre research project with sites in Western Australia, the UK, and Greece. The project is a cluster randomised control trial (2 arms; total across 3 countries: 60 coaches and 600 athletes in each arm). Athletes will be asked to complete a questionnaire package of psychological measures. The constructs of the questionnaire will include rating their willingness to take prohibited performance enhancing substances, their anti-doping attitudes, efficacy to resist doping-related temptations, and perceptions of coach behaviours. Similarly coaches will be asked to complete a separate package of psychological constructs and measures. The measures will ask coaches to rate their efficacy to foster anti-doping attitudes and deliver anti-doping information, and their efficacy to confront athletes about doping. Data collection and analysis: Baseline data (0 week) (video-recording of coaches, athlete/coach questionnaire packages) will be collected prior to the first workshop (control/intervention). Questionnaire packages will be repeated at the end of the intervention (12 week) and again at a follow-up (20 week). Interviews with coaches in the intervention arm will take place after the second workshop. We will use advanced statistical analysis (multilevel growth models) to account for both the longitudinal and nested (athletes within coaches) nature of the data. We will implement: 1) a process evaluation of the intervention, via coach interviews, coach questionnaires on ease and usefulness of the training material, and 2) fidelity to the protocol assessments, via coach observations, and 3) we will analyse the data and disseminate the results of the intervention via coach information sessions, printed material, policy briefings, media interviews, and social media engagement.
Interventions
The intervention period of the study will last 12 weeks. Coaches in the intervention arm in Australia will receive two group workshops (weeks 1 and 5; February/March 2017), each lasting 3 hours. Workshops will be delivered at a pre-arranged central location (e.g. Sport Club or Department of Sport and Recreation) or at Curtin University. Venues will be organised in advance to ensure suitability, and accessibility for attendees.
The workshops will be delivered by trained researchers with expertis
The intervention period of the study will last 12 weeks. Coaches in the intervention arm in Australia will receive two group workshops (weeks 1 and 5; February/March 2017), each lasting 3 hours. Workshops will be delivered at a pre-arranged central location (e.g. Sport Club or Department of Sport and Recreation) or at Curtin University. Venues will be organised in advance to ensure suitability, and accessibility for attendees. The workshops will be delivered by trained researchers with expertise in psychology and delivering interventions in sporting contexts. Individuals presenting the workshop will be trained using video recorded demonstration workshops, in-depth trainer notes and key slide notes. The workshops will be delivered face to face using interactive presentation (PowerPoint, group discussions). In addition to standard anti-doping education topics, the intervention workshops will include content aimed to develop motivationally adaptive communication styles. Coaches will be provided with workshop packs (printed copies of slides, support materials and information to access online materials outside of the workshop). In the intervention group the online material will include detailed descriptions of self-determination theory (SDT) based communication techniques and how they can be operationalised in the context of coach-athlete discussions about doping. To the extent that resources are available, we will also develop video material with examples of motivationally supportive and unsupportive communication. The study website and online material will be developed, designed and/or tailored specifically for this study. Online discussions/Q&A sessions will be organised based on participant availability and resource demand. The online website/discussions etc. are available as an additional resource for participants in he intervention group, and participation is not a compulsory component of the study. Coaches in the intervention group will also be provided with online materials, activities and support during the 12 week intervention period. Online materials will be delivered through an online group (e.g. closed Facebook group, protected pages on the study website), and will include online group discussions/Q&A session led and directed by the research team. Handout material will support coaches in implementing what they learn in the workshops during their training sessions. Examples include scenarios of doping and communication techniques that coaches can use to talk to their athletes. Intervention arm workshop – workshop outline Workshop 1 understanding of ‘motivation’ Communication style in supporting or undermining athletes’ motivation Applying motivation principles based on contemporary research Principles to practice Workshop 2 Anti-doping rules and practices Applying motivational strategies to reduce athletes’ willingness to dope and risk of unintentional doping Intervention fidelity will be assessed using filmed-observations between a selected number of coaches and an “athlete” in a roleplay scenario (e.g. coach-athlete conversation about the athlete considering use of a prohibited substance). The role of the “Athlete’s” will be undertaken by a trained researcher. Observations will be analysed and coding of the communication style used by the coach will be conducted. Researchers undertaking the “Athlete” role will be train in self-determination theory and concepts and to improve inter-rated reliability. The researchers ("Athlete") will be blinded to the experimental allocation of the coach.
Sponsors
Curtin University
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Educational / counselling / training
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
14 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
Eligible coaches: full-time or part-time with at least 5 years coaching experience and with varying levels of seniority. Coaching in individual and/or team sports, with a record of doping risk (for example rugby, cycling, weightlifting, football and swimming). Coach athletes aged 14-18 years, who train at least once a week and compete regularly during the competition season. Eligible athletes: Trained by a coach who has enrolled onto the study Aged 14-18 years Train at least once a week and compete regularly during the competition season.
Exclusion criteria
Coaches: Apprentice coaches Coach less than 6 athletes No more than 6 coaches will be recruited from any given club, Athletes Athletes under 14 years Athletes over 18 years Athletes where consent is withdrawn by a parent/guardian (passive consent)
Outcome results
None listed