NCJ Number
142012
Journal
New England Journal of Medicine Volume: 328 Issue: 13 Dated: (April 1, 1993) Pages: 922-926
Date Published
1993
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This study examined the relation between anabolic steroid use and the use of other drugs, including cocaine, marijuana, alcohol, cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco; explored the extent injectable drug use and needle sharing among young adolescents; and evaluated the relation between previous education about HIV and the use of anabolic steroids.
Abstract
A questionnaire based on the 1989 Secondary School Health Risk Survey and the 1990 Youth Risk Behavior Survey of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was administered to 1,881 students enrolled in compulsory health science classes in the Richmond County, Georgia, school system. The mean age of students was 14.9 years. It was found that a higher percentage of boys (6.5 percent) than girls (1.9 percent) reported using anabolic steroids without a doctor's prescription. Among 9th graders, 5.4 percent of boys and 1.5 percent of girls reported using anabolic steroids. Among anabolic steroid users, 25 percent said they shared needles to inject drugs. The frequency of anabolic steroid use was significantly associated with the frequency of using cocaine, injectable drugs, alcohol, marijuana, cigarettes, and smokeless tobacco during the previous 30 days. Multiple regression analysis showed that marijuana, shared needles, smokeless tobacco, and cocaine accounted for 33 percent of the variation in anabolic steroid use among 9th grade students. The authors conclude that adolescent users of anabolic steroids are likely to use other drugs as well and to share needles. 34 references and 5 tables