The epidemiology of anabolic-androgenic steroids use among secondary students (Valencia-Spain)

  1. Víctor Agulló Calatayud
  2. Teresa Samper Gras 1
  3. Julia Aguilar Serrano 2
  4. Sofía Tomás Dols 3
  1. 1 Departament de Sociologia i Antropologia Social. Universitat de València. España
  2. 2 Freelance. Especialista en Prevención de Drogodependencias y otras Conductas Adictivas
  3. 3 Médica especialista en Salud Pública. Ex directora General de Drogodependencias. Conselleria de Sanidad Universal y Salud Pública, G. V., España
Revue:
Health and addictions: salud y drogas

ISSN: 1578-5319

Année de publication: 2019

Volumen: 19

Número: 2

Pages: 1-7

Type: Article

DOI: 10.21134/HAAJ.V19I2.423 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openAccès ouvert editor

D'autres publications dans: Health and addictions: salud y drogas

Résumé

The consumption of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) is continuously growing in recent years among young people. The purpose of the current study was to examine the proportion of students who reported AAS use, explore other drug use among them and finally to determine the sociodemographic profile of the AAS consumption amongst a sample of students in the Valencian Region (Spain). Method. Data was taken from a selfadministrated survey of a representative sample of 11,162 Valencian students. A total of 252 schools participated in the study. Results. The findings show that 3.3% of surveyed students reported that they had consumed AAS. Males reported to take anabolic more frequently than females. The older they are the more frequent the reporting of consumptions. Among users of AAS it exists a higher prevalence of consumption of cannabis 64.2%, cocaine 23.8%, hypnotics 22.9%, ecstasy 16.8%, LSD 14% or heroine 4.1%, compare to nonusers. Conclusion. The study shows that the consumption of steroids is mainly masculine, a clear association with polyconsumption, frequent scheming as the main source of getting them and that the consumption of these substances is bigger among students whose family situation is characterized by the absence of a masculine figure (single mother or widow) in comparison with those whose parents are married.

Références bibliographiques

  • Agulló, V., González, G., Valderrama, J. C., & Aleixandre, R. (2008). Consumption of anabolic steroids in sport, physical activity and as a drug of abuse: an analysis of the scientific literature and areas of research. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 42(2), 103-109. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2007.036228
  • Agulló, V., Castelló, R., & Valderrama, J. C. (2014). Beyond elite sports: Analysis of the coverage of anabolic steroids in the Spanish press (2007–2011). Catalan Journal of Communication & Cultural Studies, 6 (2), 197-220. doi: 10.1386/cjcs.6.2.197_1
  • Avilez, J. L., Zevallos-Morales, A., & Taype, Rondán, A. (2017). Use of enhancement drugs amongst athletes and television celebrities and public interest in androgenic anabolic steroids. Exploring two Peruvian cases with Google Trends. Public Health, 146, 29-31. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2017.01.011
  • Bahrke, M. S., Yesalis, C. E., Kopstein, A. N., & Stephens, J. A. (2000). Risk factors associated with anabolic androgenic steroid use among adolescents. Sports Medicine, 29(6), 397-405.
  • Breivík, G., Hanstad, D. V., & Loland, S. (2009). Attitudes towards use of performance-enhancing substances and body modification techniques. A comparison between elite athletes and the general population. Sport in Society, 12(6), 737–754. doi: 10.1080/17430430902944183
  • Canuto, M. H. A., Assis-Ferreira R., & Guimarães, E. M. (2006). Uso e abuso de drogas ilícitas por jovens do 1º ano da Universidade Federal de Goiás. Revista Paulista de Pediatria, 24(2), 135-142.
  • Costa, S. H., da Cunha L. C., Yonamine, M., Pucci, L. L., Oliveira, F. G., de Souza C.G., & Leles C.R. (2010). Survey on the use of psychotropic drugs by twelve military police units in the municipalities of Goiânia and Aparecida de Goiânia, state of Goiás, Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria, 32(4), 389-395. doi: 10.1590/S1516-44462010005000023
  • De Ronde, W. (2019). Preventing anabolic steroid abuse: A long way to go. Journal of Internal Medicine, 285(3), 349-350. doi: 10.1111/joim.128508
  • Dunn, M., & White, V. (2011). The epidemiology of anabolic-androgenic steroid use among Australian secondary school students. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 14(1), 10-14. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2010.05.004
  • Griffiths, S., Brendan, J., Degenhardt, L., Murray, S., & Larance, B. (2018). Physical appearance concerns are uniquely associated with the severity of steroid dependence and depression in anabolic–androgenic steroid users. Drug and Alcohol Review, 37(5), 664-670. doi: 10.1111/dar.12688
  • Goldman, A. L., Pope, H. G., & Bhasin, S. (2019). The Health Threat Posed by the Hidden Epidemic of Anabolic Steroid Use and Body Image Disorders Among Young Men. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 104(4), 1069-1074. doi: 10.1210/jc.2018-01706
  • Hakansson, A., Mickelsson, K., Wallin, C., & Berglund, M. (2012). Anabolic androgenic steroids in the general population: User characteristics and associations with substance use. European Addiction Research, 18(2), 83-90. doi: 10.1159/000333037
  • Hauger, L. E., Sagoe, D., Vaskinn, A., Arnevik, E. A., Leknes, S., Jørstad, M. L., & Bjørnebekk (2019). Anabolic androgenic steroid dependence is associated with impaired emotion recognition. Psychopharmacology. doi:10.1007/s00213-019-05239-7
  • Hausenblas, H. A., & Fallon, E. A. (2001). Relationship among Body Image, Exercise Behaviour and Exercice Dependence Symptoms. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 32(2), 179-185. doi: 10.1002/eat.10071
  • Hildebrandt, T., Lai, J. K., Langenbucher, J. W., Schneider, M., Yehuda, R., & Pfaff, D. W. (2011). The diagnostic dilemma of pathological appearance and performance enchancing drug use. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 114(1), 1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.09.018
  • Horwitz, H., Andersen, J. T., & Dalhoff, K. P. (2019) Health consequences of androgenic anabolic steroid use. Journal of Internal Medicine, 285(3), 333-340. doi: 10.1111/joim.12850
  • Irigoyen-Coll, C. (2005). Esteroides y percepción del riesgo. Health and Addictions/Salud y drogas, 5(1), 119-137. doi:10.21134/haaj.v5i1.124
  • Jenssen, I. H., & Johannessen, K. B. (2015). Aggression and body image concerns among anabolic androgenic steroid users, contemplators, and controls in Norway. Body Image, 12, 6-13. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2014.08.009
  • Kanayama, G., Pope Jr., H. (2018). History and epidemiology of anabolic androgens in athletes and non-athletes. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, 15(464), 4-13. doi: 10.1016/j.mce.2017.02.039
  • Kartakoulis, N. L., Phellas, C., Poulokas, S., Petrou, M., & Loizou, C. (2008). The Use of Anabolic Steroids and Other Prohibited Substances by Gym Enthusiasts in Cyprus. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 43(3), 271-287. doi: 10.1177/1012690208098545
  • Labre, M. P. (2002). Adolescent boys and the muscular male body ideal. The Journal of adolescent health: official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine. Journal of Adolescent Health, 30(4), 233-242. doi: 10.1016/S1054-139X(01)00413-X
  • Lambert, M. I., Titlestad, S. D., & Schwellnus, M. (1998). Indications of prevalence use in adolescents in two regions of South Africa. South African Medical Journal, 88(7), 876-880.
  • Lundholm, L., Frisell, T., Lichtenstein, P., & Långström, N. (2014). Anabolic androgenic steroids and violent offending: confounding by polysubstance abuse among 10365 general population men. Addiction, 110(1), 100-108. doi: 10.1111/add.12715
  • McCullagh. (1989). Models for discrete multivariate responses. Bulletin of the I.S.I, 53, 407-418
  • Melia, P., Pipe, A., & Greenberg, L. (1996). The use of anabolic-androgenic steroids by Canadian students. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 6(1), 9-14.
  • Mulcahey, M. K., Schiller, J. R., & Hulstyn M. J. (2010). Anabolic steroid use in adolescents: identification of those at risk and strategies for prevention. The Physician and Sportsmedicine, 38(3), 105-13. doi: 10.3810/psm.2010.10.1815
  • Nilsson, S., Baigi A., Marklund, B., & Fridlund, B. (2001). The prevalence of the use of androgenic anabolic steroids by adolescents in a county of Sweden. European Journal of Public Health, 11(2), 195–197. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/11.2.195
  • Petersson, A., Bengtsson, J., Voltaire-Carlsson, A., & Thiblin, I. (2010). Substance abusers’ motives for using anabolic androgenic steroids. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 111(1-2), 170-172. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.04.008
  • Petrocelli, M., Oberweis, T., & Petrocelli, J. (2008). Getting huge, getting ripped: A qualitative exploration of recreational steroid use. Journal of Drug Issues, 38(4), 1187–1205. doi: 10.1177/002204260803800412
  • Rachoń, D., Pokrywka, L., & Suchecka-Rachoń, D. K. (2006). Prevalence and risk factors of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) abuse among adolescents and young adults in Poland. Soz PraventivMed, 51(6), 392-398.
  • Sagoe, D., Molde, H., Andreassen, C., Torsheim, T., & Pallesen, S. (2014). The global epidemiology of anabolic-androgenic steroid use: a meta-analysis and meta-regression analysis. Annals of Epidemiology, 24(5), 383-398. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2014.01.009
  • Sagoe, D., Mentzoni, R.A., Hanss, D., & Pallesen, S. (2016). Aggression is associated with increased anabolic androgenic steroid use contemplation among adolescents. Substance Use & Misuse, 51(11),1462-1469. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2016.1186696
  • Sagoe, D., & Pallesen, S. (2018). Androgen abuse epidemiology. Current Opinion in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Obesity, 25 (3), 185-194. doi: 10.1097/MED.0000000000000403
  • Sandvik, M. R., Bakken, A., & Loland, S. (2018). Anabolic-androgenic steroid use and correlates in Norwegian adolescents. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(6), 903-910. doi: 10.1080/17461391.2018.1459869
  • Sjöqvist, F., Garle, M., & Rane, A. (2008). Use of doping agents, particularly anabolic steroids, in sports and society. Lancet, 371(9627), 1872–1882. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(08)60801-6
  • Skårberg, K., Nyberg, F., & Engström, I. (2009). Multisubstance use as a feature of addiction to anabolic-androgenic steroids. European Addiction Research, 15(2), 99-106. doi: 10.1159 / 000199045
  • Smit, D.L., & de Ronde, W. (2018). Outpatient clinic for users of androgenic anabolic steroids: an overview. Netherlands Journal of Medicine, 76(4), 167-175.
  • Tahtamouni, L. H., Mustafa, N. H., Alfaouri, A. A., Hassan, I. M., Abdalla, M. Y., & Yasin, S. R. (2008). Prevalence and risk factors for anabolic-androgenic steroid abuse among Jordanian collegiate students and athletes. Eurean Journal Public Health, 18(6), 661-665. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckn062
  • Thorlindsson, T., & Halldorsson, V. (2010). Sport, and use of anabolic androgenic steroids among Icelandic high school students: a critical test of three perspectives. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy, 5(32), 1-11. doi: 10.1186/1747-597X-5-32
  • Todd, T. (1987). Anabolic Steroids: the gremlins of sport. Journal of Sport History, 14(1), 87-107.
  • Van Amsterdam, J., Opperhuizen, A., & Hartgens, F. (2010). Adverse health effects of anabolic-androgenic steroids. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 57(1), 117-23. doi: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2010.02.001
  • Vorona, E., & Nieschlag, E. (2018). Adverse effects of doping with anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) in competitive athletics, recreational sports and bodybuilding. Minerva Endocrinologica. 19 Feb. doi: 10.23736/S0391-1977.18.02810-9
  • Wichstrøm, L., & Pedersen, W. (2001). Use of anabolic-androgenic steroids in adolescence: winning, looking good or being bad? Journal of Studies in Alcohol, 62(1), 5-13