Perceptions and policies of college directors of recreation regarding the use of dietary supplements and performance enhancing substances

Purpose: Dietary supplement (DS) use among U.S. adults has increased dramatically in the past decade. Americans spend over $20 billion dollars annually on DS. Additionally, the use of performance enhancing substances (PES) by athletes has been widely publicized in the media. College Directors of Recreation are charged with setting policies intended to keep patrons reasonably safe from harm. However, little is known about the perceptions, practices, and policies of Directors of Recreation regarding the use of DS and PES in their facilities. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design using a three-wave mailing technique was employed. A $1 incentive was used in the first wave of the mailings to increase response rate. A valid and reliable 40-item instrument was sent to a stratified, systematic random sample of 600 Directors of Recreation in the U.S. Results: The response rate was 50%. Results showed that, despite concern for student use of DS and PES, over 10% of college recreation facilities sell DS to students. Less than 1% of the Directors of Recreation surveyed correctly identified the common signs of PES use. Additionally, 80% did not have a written PES policy, 90% had no written DS policy, 63% had no formal education on PES, and 68% had no formal education on DS. Bivariate and multivariate results will be reported. Conclusions: Public health professionals should work closely with college Directors of Recreation to inform them about the warning signs of PES use and the potential dangers of providing DS to patrons, including legal ramifications.