Examination of substance addiction awareness and knowledge levels among sports science students (A case study of Fırat University)

The purpose of this research is to investigate the awareness and knowledge levels of substance addiction among sports science students and determine the extent of the relationship between them, strengthening the fight against substance addiction based on scientific and clear data. In the study, a relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was implemented. The population of the research consists of 1450 students studying in the Faculty of Sports Sciences at Fırat University as of the 2022-2023 academic year, while the sample of the research consists of 335 sports science students randomly selected from the population. In the data collection process of the research, a 'Personal Information Form' was used to determine the demographic characteristics of the participants, along with an Awareness Scale to measure the awareness levels of substance addiction among sports science students, and a Substance Addiction Knowledge Test to determine their knowledge levels. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS 21.0 statistical program. Scores for the scale and knowledge test were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis values, skewness coefficient, kurtosis coefficient, ANOVA, LSD post hoc, and Pearson correlation test. It was found that the substance addiction awareness of university students participating in the research is at a high level. It was determined that the scores of substance addiction awareness did not show a significant difference based on gender, age, and class level. It was found that the scores of factors causing addiction differed significantly based on class level. Considering that university students with a high level of substance addiction knowledge also have a high level of substance addiction awareness, it was concluded that these findings are important for the effectiveness of education and awareness programs. Keywords: Substance Addiction Awareness, Sports Sciences, Substance Addiction Knowledge Level