Although athletes' beliefs and values are known to influence whether or not an athlete will use banned drugs, little is known about the athletes' beliefs and attitudes in different sports. The aim of this study was to clarify the beliefs and attitudes of elite athletes towards banned substances and methods in sports. A total of 446 athletes (response rate 90.3 %; 446/494) financially supported by the National Finnish Olympic Committee completed a structured questionnaire during their national team camps in 2002. More than 90 % of the athletes reported to believe that banned substances and methods have performance enhancing effects, and 30 % reported that they personally know an athlete who uses banned substances. Of the male athletes 35 %, and 23 % of females reported they personally know an athlete using banned substances. A total of 15 % of the athletes reported that they had been offered banned substances: 21 % of the speed and power athletes, 14 % of the team sport athletes and of the athletes in motor skills demanding events, and 10 % of the endurance athletes. Stimulants were the most often offered substance group (to 7 % of all the athletes) followed by anabolic steroids (4 %). Subjects who regarded doping as a minor health risk seemed to be more often associated with doping users than those regarding doping as a significant health risk. Athletes in different sports have a different approach to doping. Risk of doping appears to be highest in speed and power sports and lowest in motor skills demanding sports. Males are at higher risk than females. Controlling doping only by tests is not sufficient. A profound change in the attitudes is needed, which should be monitored repeatedly.

In this population-based prospective follow-up study, children undergoing solid organ transplantation had a highly elevated risk for fractures: The incidence of all fractures was 6-fold higher (92 versus 14 fractures/1000 persons/year; p < 0.001) and vertebral fractures was 160-fold higher (57 versus 0.35 fractures/1000 persons/year; p < 0.001) in the study group compared with the control population. Thus, screening of vertebral fractures at regular intervals is recommended, and preventive strategies should be studied. Introduction:The incidence and predictors of fractures after solid organ transplantation are not well documented in the pediatric age group. Materials and Methods: A total of 196 children, which is 93% of patients surviving kidney, liver, and heart transplantation in our country, participated in a retrospective chart review at enrollment followed by a 5-year prospective follow-up study between January 1999 and December 2004. Hospital and medical records were reviewed. All children underwent clinical examinations and answered questionnaires concerning fracture history at the beginning and at the end of the prospective follow-up. Radiographs of the thoracic and lumbar spine were obtained. The fracture incidence was compared with data obtained from public health registries. Results: Seventy-five (38%) of the transplant patients suffered from a total of 166 fractures after organ transplantation. The incidence of all fractures was 6-fold higher (92 versus 14 fractures/1000 persons/year; p < 0.001) and vertebral fractures was 160-fold higher (57 versus 0.35 fractures/1000 persons/year; p < 0.001) in the study group compared with the control population. The age-and sex-adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) were 61.3 (40.7-92.4 were the most significant independent risk factors. Conclusions: Children undergoing solid organ transplantation have a highly elevated risk for fractures. Screening of vertebral fractures at regular intervals is recommended, and preventive strategies should be studied.

The frequency of antiasthmatic medication is clearly lower than the occurrence of physician-diagnosed asthma in Finnish Olympic athletes. No evidence of overuse of inhaled beta2-agonists is found.

Endurance athletes have physician-diagnosed allergic rhinitis, and they use antiallergic medication more often than athletes in other events or control subjects. Only half of those athletes reporting allergic rhinitis take antiallergic medication. More attention needs to be paid to the optimal management of allergic rhinitis, especially in highly trained endurance athletes.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of smoking and snuff use in Finnish elite athletes. Of all the athletes (n = 494) financially supported by the National Olympic Committee, 446 completed a structured questionnaire (response rate 90.3 %) in 2002. A control group (n = 1504, response rate 80.2 %) comprised an age-matched sample from the population-based sample collected by the National Public Health Institute. Any smoking was reported by 11.4 % of the athletes (3.6 % daily and 7.8 % occasionally) and by 38.3 % of the controls (28.1 % and 10.2 %). After adjusting for age, sex, and education, OR (95 % CI) for any smoking was highest 0.42 (0.23 - 0.77) for athletes in skill-based events and lowest 0.06 (0.02 - 0.17) for endurance athletes as compared with controls. Snuff use was reported by 24.6 % of the athletes (9.6 % daily and 15.0 % occasionally) and by 3.7 % of the controls (1.8 % and 1.9 %). The adjusted OR (95 % CI) for any snuff use was highest 15.6 (9.55 - 25.6) for team-sport athletes and lowest 3.33 (1.54 - 7.21) for endurance athletes as compared with controls. Although snuff use in the general female population is rare, also female athletes did use snuff. Though prevalence of daily smoking among athletes was one-seventh of the respective figure for the general population, prevalence of daily snuff use was five-fold that of controls. Tobacco free elite athletes are valuable in health counselling because athletes are considered role models influencing their peers and the sport. Sport associations are challenged to ban all forms of tobacco.