WHAT DO COLLEGE OF SPORTS STUDENTS THINK ABOUT SUDDEN CARDIAC DEATH IN ATHLETES?

Background: The unexpected loss of athletes due to sudden cardiac death on the sports arena is a tragic event that quickly creates worldwide repercussions. This study was conducted as a descriptive study to determine the knowledge and opinion of sports college students about sudden cardiac death in athletes. Methods: The study was conducted with 691 students attending the college of sports at a particular university. The data was collected using a semi-structured questionnaire containing information on the socio-demographic characteristics of the students and their knowledge and opinion on sudden cardiac death in athletes. Frequency, percentage and mean values were used in the evaluation. Results: The mean age of the participants was 20.7 +/- 2.3 years and 56.2% of them were males. 65.4% of the students do not know what sudden cardiac death is and 22.9% think that the most common cause of sudden cardiac death in athletes is the use of performance-enhancing substance. Students consider the use of performance-enhancing substance (81.6%) and the intensity of sports performed (55.9%) as the most important risk factors for sudden cardiac death. Students believe that sudden cardiac death can be prevented by means of detailed and regular health check ups (41.7%) and education of athletes and trainers about preventing sudden cardiac death (27.9%). Conclusion: The results of the study show that sports college students have insufficient information about the causes of sudden cardiac death in athletes and the precautions to be taken in this regard. Education on the subject of sudden cardiac death in athletes is considered necessary for increasing the level of knowledge and awareness of students.