title: Anabolic steroid use by male adolescents.
abstract: Anabolic steroids have recently been used by professional and college athletes to improve athletic ability by increasing muscle size and strength. A study was done to determine the extent of steroid use and knowledge about these drugs in a population of high school male adolescents in a southern state. A self-report questionnaire, which allowed multiple answers for each question, was administered to 853 male students in six high schools. Results indicated that an average of 11% had used or were using anabolic steroids. The following were assessed: the reasons for steroid use, the sources from which the students received information about steroids, their familiarity with the physiologic effects and complications of steroid use, and the extent of their involvement in sports. The results suggest that a segment of male adolescents are using anabolic steroids without fully understanding the risks of such behavior. Health care providers need to become knowledgeable about steroids so that they may better educate adolescents about the potential deleterious effects of these agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Jay
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shoup
authors.forename: V I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Rickert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D045930:Anabolic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001131:Arkansas; D001294:Attitude to Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013177:Sports; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D045930:Anabolic Agents