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This study assessed the prevalence, trends, and student- and
college-level characteristics associated with the non-medical use of anabolic
steroids (NMAS) among U.S. college students. Data were collected through self-administered
mail surveys, from 15,282, 14,428, 13,953, and 10,904 randomly selected college
students at the same 119 nationally representative colleges in 1993, 1997, 1999
and 2001, respectively. The prevalence of lifetime, past-year and past-month
NMAS was 1% or less and generally did not change significantly between 1993
and 2001, with one exception: past-year NMAS increased significantly among men
from 1993 (0.36%) to 2001 (0.90%). Multiple logistic regression analyses revealed
that lifetime and past-year NMAS were associated with student-level characteristics
such as being male and participation in intercollegiate athletics. Lifetime
and past-year NMAS were also positively associated with several risky behaviors,
including cigarette smoking, illicit drug use, drinking and driving, and DSM-IV
alcohol use disorders. Nearly 7 out of every 10 lifetime non-medical users of
anabolic steroids met past-year criteria for a DSM-IV alcohol use disorder.
Although the overall prevalence of NMAS remained low between 1993 and 2001,
findings suggest that continued monitoring is necessary because male student-athletes
are at heightened risk for NMAS and this behavior is associated with a wide
range of risky health behaviors. The characteristics associated with NMAS have
important implications for future practice and research.
Illicit Drugs; Other high risk behaviors
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