NCJ Number
207082
Journal
Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 39 Issue: 8 Dated: 2004 Pages: 1183-1197
Date Published
2004
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study surveyed attitudes toward androgenic anabolic steroids among Swedish male adolescents who had used these drugs compared with those who had not.
Abstract
In the year 2000, a 94-item questionnaire was distributed to all classes in the secondary schools of Halland County, Sweden, that contained 14-, 16-, and 18-year-old male students. The response rate was 92.7 percent (n=4,049). The questionnaire contained questions on the lifetime use and knowledge of androgenic anabolic steroids, as well as attitudes toward these drugs, alcohol, and narcotic drugs. Among the surveyed sample, 1.2 percent reported frequency of use of anabolics, with the most commonly report reason for such use being to improve appearance, followed by sports ambitions. Compared with nonusers, fewer users believed anabolics to be harmful, and more of the users than nonusers believed that girls preferred boys with large muscles. Users trained more often at gyms, drank more alcohol, and had used narcotic drugs more often than nonusers. More immigrants than native-born adolescents had used anabolics. Given these findings, prevention and intervention should focus on information about the harmful effects of anabolic steroids, appearance issues, the strengthening of self-confidence, and support for high-risk youths such as immigrants. 5 tables and 32 references