Home > Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use, knowledge, and behaviours around their use and misuse in Irish collegiate student-athletes.

O'Connor, Siobhán and McCaffrey, Noel and Whyte, Enda and Moran, Kieran and Lacey, Peter (2019) Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs use, knowledge, and behaviours around their use and misuse in Irish collegiate student-athletes. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 47, (3), pp. 318-322.

OBJECTIVES: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used by athletes to treat injuries but are also reportedly misused as performance or recovery aids. This study aimed to investigate NSAIDs use, knowledge, and behaviour regarding use and misuse of NSAIDs in Irish student-athletes.

METHODS: One hundred and forty-nine (21.2±3.5 years) student-athletes completed an anonymous, validated questionnaire online. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis was utilised to examine whether associated factors could predict NSAIDs misuse.

RESULTS: Ninety-four percent of respondents reported using NSAIDs in the past, 63.8% used NSAIDs previously before or after completion and/or practice, 13.9% took more than the recommended dosage and this was higher (22.9%) for over-the-counter NSAIDs. More than half were unsure of NSAIDs side-effects. Misuse of NSAIDs was more common in respondents who had more favourable attitudes to the benefits of NSAIDs (OR=4.83, 95% CI=1.18-19.61), high reported stress (OR=1.73, 95% CI=0.58-1.73) or greater behavioural intention to use NSAIDs (OR=1.89, 95% CI=0.90-4.53). High perceived athletic identity also significantly predicted behavioural intention (p=0.01).

CONCLUSION: Education strategies to improve student-athletes' knowledge of appropriate use and side-effects of NSAIDs is recommended, particularly for those with high levels of stress and athletic identity.


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