ANABOLIC-STEROID USE AMONG ADOLESCENTS IN NEBRASKA SCHOOLS

The extent of anabolic steroid use among adolescent sports participant s and nonparticipants in Nebraska schools was studied. The Nebraska Se condary School Survey administered in 1991 contained 19 new items desi gned to determine rates of use of anabolic steroids and to measure par ticipation in school sports. Schools participating in the survey are p art of the Toward a Drug Free Nebraska training project; when the 1998 survey was conducted, training did not address ergogenic drug use. Th e survey was administered on a voluntary and confidential basis to Neb raska students in grades 7 through 12. A total of 4722 students in 62 secondary schools were surveyed; 3183 (67.4%) identified themselves as participants in school-sponsored sports. Of all the respondents, 117 (2.5%) reported having used anabolic steroids in the preceding 30 days . Some 4.5%, of all the male respondents were steroid users, versus 0. 8% of all the females. Of the students who reported using anabolic ste roids, 72.6% were sports participants. Steroid users, whether they par ticipated in sports or not, were more likely to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs than were nonusers of steroids. Among sports participa nts and nonparticipants, anabolic steroid users were more likely than nonusers to report acting violently. Nebraska students (grades 7 throu gh 12) who participated in school-sponsored sports were more likely th an nonparticipants to use anabolic steroids. Steroid-using athletes we re more likely to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs than athletes who did not use steroids.