title: Examining Potential Substance Use Disorders Among Former Interscholastic Athletes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite numerous studies examining the association between competitive sports participation and substance use behaviors among adolescents and young adults, the use of standardized measures to assess potential substance use disorders has been largely neglected. The objective of this study was to examine if past involvement in interscholastic sports (competitive school-sponsored sports) was associated with potential substance use disorders in young adulthood.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data for this study were taken from the Student Life Survey (SLS). A total of 3442 young adults participated in the SLS during the spring semester in 2013, with 74% of males and 71% of females indicating participation in interscholastic sport during high school.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents who participated in interscholastic sports during high school had higher odds of positive screens for potential alcohol use disorders when compared with their peers who did not participate in interscholastic sports. No association was detected between interscholastic sports participation and potential drug abuse disorders. Moreover, previous involvement in certain types of sports was found to be associated with positive screens for potential alcohol use disorders (i.e., crew and football) and positive screens for potential drug abuse disorders (i.e., lacrosse) among the sample of young adults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  School and community sport organizations should be aware of the potential link between sports participation and potential substance use disorders, and may consider brief substance use screeners during yearly physicals to monitor potential substance use problems among athletes.
authors.affiliation: a Institute for Research on Women & Gender (IRWG) , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan , USA.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Veliz
authors.affiliation: a Institute for Research on Women & Gender (IRWG) , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan , USA.
authors.forename: Sean Esteban
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: McCabe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D056352:Athletes / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adolescence; alcohol; drugs; interscholastic sport; substance use; substance use disorder