Knowledge about doping and prohibited substances in a population of Cuban students

The objective of this research is to determine the level of knowledge that Cuban students not integrated into the sports education system have on the issues of doping and drugs in sport, as well as the learning needs about doping and the use of prohibited substances. The study population was characterized according to age, sex and level of education, determining types of physical or sports activity, training in private gyms and consumption of products to improve physical appearance. For this, a descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in which students who practiced sports occasionally or according to the programs of their schools participated. The study involved 883 students belonging to 4 high school, high school and university centers in the province of Sancti Spiritus, Cuba. A survey was applied to explore the students' levels of knowledge about the use of doping substances and nutritional supplements. 86.4% of the students practiced sports and 21.3% attended private gyms. 9.2% consumed supplements or ergogenic aids and 89.1% did not know what doping is and its dangers. 14.7% of the students were unaware of the characteristics of the drugs and could not identify their effects. It is necessary to prevent and educate the students of the Cuban non-sports education system about the danger of consuming prohibited substances.