METHODS: A survey was conducted during the Malaysian Universities Games in Kuala Lumpur 2014. A total of 614 athletes completed the questionnaires on perception, specific knowledge, environment, behavior and beliefs towards doping.
RESULTS: From this survey, we found that their knowledge about doping and antidoping was poor, they have misguided beliefs and perception about doping, and their environment seems to be favorable for performance enhancing substances usage in the future. We grouped the athletes based on their doping's environment into ultraclean, potential and high-risk group; and the results showed that they have a significant relationship with their knowledge, beliefs and perception about doping in sports, P<0.001. About 1.5-1.8% of the studied athletes have positive behavior towards doping practice; doping use, χ2 =24.6(2) P<0.001 and doping willingness, χ2 =17.15(2) P<0.001.
CONCLUSIONS: Doping behavior and doping risks in this region are still under-studied. Hence, we recommended that every South East Asia countries would identify the potential risks of doping among their young athletes, and collectively collaborating in managing doping issues involving this region. Special attention should be given to doping environment as it has negative influences on athletes behavior towards doping.
METHODS: A total of 1,025 Chinese university athletes (65% male, mean age 20 ± 1.54 years) were included in this study. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multi-group CFA (MGCFA) were conducted using Mplus 8.0 to evaluate the factorial structure and assess measurement invariance across sports levels.
RESULTS: Both the three-factor and second-order models demonstrated a good fit for the Chinese adaptation of the Sport MHC-SF. Chi-square values were 262.704 (74) and 262.705 (74), respectively, with a comparative fit index (CFI) of 0.968, a Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) of 0.961, a standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) of 0.027, and a root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) of 0.050 (90% CI: 0.043-0.056). Measurement invariance across ranked and non-ranked athletes was confirmed, with minimal changes in fit indices (ΔCFI ≤ 0.01, ΔTLI ≤ 0.01, ΔRMSEA ≤ 0.015) from configural to strict invariance.
CONCLUSION: The Chinese adaptation of the Sport MHC-SF scale has strong construct validity, reliability, and measurement invariance, making it a reliable tool for future research on the well-being of Chinese athletes. This study fills a critical gap in cross-cultural validation, offering a foundation for future research and practical applications in sports psychology among Chinese athletes.