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Effects of a Multidimensional Anabolic Steroid Prevention Intervention
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1996
Year
Physical ActivityWeight ManagementPharmacotherapyHealth PreventionSport InjuryNon-pharmacological InterventionPreventive MedicineKinesiologySport NutritionExerciseSport ScienceSteroid MetabolismHealth SciencesSport Injury PreventionAas UseEducational InterventionAdolescent Football PlayersRehabilitationExercise ScienceAddictionExercise PhysiologyAthletic TrainingMedicineSport-related Injuries
<h3>Objective.</h3> —To test a team-based, educational intervention designed to reduce adolescent athletes' intent to use anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS). <h3>Design.</h3> —Randomized Randomized prospective trial. <h3>Setting.</h3> —Thirty-one high school football teams in the Portland, Ore, area. <h3>Participants.</h3> —Seven hundred two adolescent football players at experimental schools; 804 players at control schools. <h3>Intervention.</h3> —Seven weekly, 50-minute class sessions were delivered by coaches and student team leaders, addressing AAS effects, sports nutrition and strength-training alternatives to AAS use, drug refusal role play, and anti-AAS media messages. Seven weight-room sessions were taught by research staff. Parents received written information and were invited to a discussion session. <h3>Main Outcome Measures.</h3> —Questionnaires before and after intervention and at 9- or 12-month follow-up, assessing AAS use risk factors, knowledge and attitudes concerning AAS, sports nutrition and exercise knowledge and behaviors, and intentions to use AAS. <h3>Results.</h3> —Compared with controls, experimental subjects at the long-term follow-up had increased understanding of AAS effects, greater belief in personal vulnerability to the adverse consequences of AAS, improved drug refusal skills, less belief in AAS-promoting media messages, increased belief in the team as an information source, improved perception of athletic abilities and strength-training selfefficacy, improved nutrition and exercise behaviors, and reduced intentions to use AAS. Many other beneficial program effects remained significant at the long-term follow-up. <h3>Conclusions.</h3> —This AAS prevention program enhanced healthy behaviors, reduced factors that encourage AAS use, and lowered intent to use AAS. These changes were sustained over the period of 1 year. Team-based interventions appear to be an effective approach to improve adolescent behaviors and reduce drug use risk factors.