The prevalence of the use of androgenic anabolic steroids by adolescents in a county of Sweden.

Abstract

The prevalence of the use of androgenic anabolic steroids has been poorly studied in Europe. This study was undertaken to examine the prevalence of the misuse--the non-medical use--of androgenic anabolic steroids among adolescents in a county of Sweden. The total population of 16 and 17 year old male and female adolescents in a county on the south-west coast of Sweden was studied. The investigation was done by an anonymous multiple-choice questionnaire. The questionnaire was completed by 5,827 pupils and statistically analysed. The participation rate was 95%. Among male adolescents 16 and 17 years old, 3.6% and 2.8% had misused androgenic anabolic steroids, respectively. These male adolescents had also misused alcohol, growth hormones and narcotic drugs more than the steroid hormone non-users. Among female adolescents there was no recorded misuse of these drugs (0.0%). The misuse of androgenic anabolic steroids is a reality in both small and large municipalities in Sweden. The prevalence figures are higher among 16 year old compared to 17 year old male adolescents. There is an association between this drug misuse and other substance misuse such as narcotic drugs. Female adolescents do not misuse steroid hormones. The findings indicate the need for preventive work among male adolescents in order to induce adolescents not to start misusing androgenic anabolic steroids.