Anabolic-Steroid Use, Strength Training, and Multiple Drug Use Among Adolescents in the United States

¹ Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
² Division of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
³ Epidemiology Program Office, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

Objective. This study examined the relationships between anabolic-steroid use and the use of other drugs, sports participation, strength training, and school performance among a nationally representative sample of US high school students.

Design. Randomized survey data from the 1991 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Setting. Public and private schools in the 50 United States and District of Columbia.

Patients. A total of 12 272 9th through 12th grade students.

Main Outcome Measured. Prevalence of anabolicsteroid use.

Results. The frequency of anabolic-steroid use was significantly associated with the frequency of use of cocaine, the use of other drugs such as amphetamines and heroin, tobacco smoking, and alcohol use. The weighted prevalences of anabolic-steroid use were higher among male (4.08%) than female students (1.2%). Students living in the South (3.46%) reported higher prevalences than students in the Midwest (3.0%), West (2.02%), or Northeast (1.71%). Students with self-perceived below-average academic performances (5.10%) and students reporting injected drug use also reported higher anabolic-steroid use (51.57%). Based on a multiple logistic regression, the following variables were found to be significant predictors of anabolic-steroid use: injectable drug use (odds ratio [OR], 17.86), use of other drugs (OR, 4.19), male gender (OR, 2.79), alcohol use (OR, 1.38), and strength training (OR, 1.73). The variables that were significantly associated with anabolic-steroid use varied by gender and by region of the country.

Conclusion. These data suggest that adolescent anabolic-steroid users in this country are more likely to engage in strength training, injected drug use, and the use of multiple drugs, even after controlling for sports participation and poorer academic performance. These data confirm previous findings of an association between multiple drug use and anabolic-steroid use. Also, engaging in strength-training exercises continued to be associated with anabolic-steroid use after controlling for drug use and other predictors.

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