The study of relationship between social capital and tendency to consumption of enhancing drugs among athletes in shiraz city

Sports participation of the youth as active members of society is of great importance. Sports activity is an important factor both at the level of international competition and also in its relations with the health and vitality of the youth. But in recent years, an increase in the use of performance-enhancing drugs is evident among the youth. With regard to the negative effects of using such drugs and also the damages to championship sports due to the athletes’ punishments and deprivations, considering this issue and studying its related factors may be important in preventing and reducing the use of performance-enhancing drugs. One of these factors is social capital. An increase in social capital can be important in many ways, including that it unites individuals with their society and this itself results in more following the usual social norms. So, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between social capital the tendency to use performance-enhancing drugs in the youth. This study was conducted with a quantitative approach through a survey research and the data were collected using a questionnaire. The study population is consisted of young athletes of Shiraz aging 15-29. The sample size is 400 people. The research findings show that there is a significant relationship between the dimensions of social capital (institutional trust, social trust, social and cultural participation, social relations, the support of friends and family, and social norm) and the tendency to use performance-enhancing drugs. There’s also a significant difference between basic variables such as age groups, sports, education status, and employment status based on the tendency to use performance-enhancing drugs.