Understanding female collegiate athletes' intentions to consume sports supplements: an application of the theory of planned behavior
Year: 2007
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: The Dietary Supplements Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994 made\nsafety and efficacy testing of dietary supplements the responsibility of the consumer.\nCurrently, there exists little data on safety and efficacy of supplements, and there is\nvirtually no data regarding safety and efficacy of supplements in individuals under the\nage of 18 years. Sales indices suggest sports supplement consumption continues to\nincrease among young athletes, and research indicates young athletes have become the\nkey target for marketing. Additionally, pressures to achieve greater athletic performance\nor an ideal body image are strong motivators for young athletes. These factors create an\nenvironment in which adolescents are likely to consume dangerous sports supplements\nwithout being aware of risks associated with supplements. This study was conducted as\nan attempt to understand factors that motivate young athletes to consume sports\nsupplements. The sample for this study consisted of 207 female collegiate athletes participating\nin basketball, soccer, cross country, volleyball, and swimming during the 2005-2006\nNCAA season. A survey instrument containing four scales measured participants'€™\nbehavioral intention, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control\nregarding the consumption of sports supplements. Behavioral intention, attitude,\nsubjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are Theory of Planned Behavior\n(TPB) components that, in theory, measure an individual's internal motivations for\nperformance of a behavior. The dependent variable was defined as the intention to\nconsume sports supplements (Behavioral Intention), and attitude, subjective norms and\nperceived behavioral control were predictor variables.\nFindings from this study revealed a poor fit for the TPB measurement model.\nHowever, the components of the TPB were able to explain 61% of variance in\nbehavioral intention. Additionally, subjective norms were the strongest predictor and\nperceived behavioral control the weakest. Furthermore, the average female collegiate\nathlete did not regularly consume sports supplements. Participants claiming to use\nsports supplements regularly indicated weight loss and gain, fat loss and looking better\nas primary motivations for consumption. Results indicated the TPB was able to explain\na considerable amount of variance in intention to consume sports supplements with body\nimage concerns being primary motivators.
Author: Jeff M. Housman
Language: English
Topic: Doping in Sports
Subfield: Sociology and Political Science
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1532475144