Doping Attitudes and the Use of Legal and Illegal Performance-Enhancing Substances Among Italian Adolescents

• NCJ Number: 243255
• Journal: Journal of Child & Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 22 Issue: 3 Dated: July - August 2013 Pages: 179-190
• Author(s): Luca Mallia; Fabio Lucidi; Arnaldo Zelli; Cristiano Violani
• Date Published: July 2013
• Length: 12 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examined the use of performance-enhancing substances (PES) using self-reported data from high school students across Italy.

Abstract

Using retrospective self-reporting, rates of illegal and legal performance-enhancing substance (PES) use in the past 3 months among more than 3,400 Italian high school adolescents were obtained and estimated. The study focused on the extent to which these sociodemographic characteristics and illegal PES use were associated with adolescents' positive attitudes toward illegal PES use. Results showed that it is relatively rare for youths to report use of illegal performance-enhancing substances in the past 3 months, and that male, relatively older, and athlete students were significantly more likely to use illegal PES than their respective counterparts. The results also showed that illegal PES users and male, older, and athlete students held stronger attitudes favoring illegal PES use. Finally, results showed that those student athletes who reported having used legal PES in the past 3 months were 10 times more likely to also have used illegal PES than those student athletes who did not report having used legal PES. Abstract published by arrangement with Taylor and Francis.