Citation

Goldberg L, Elliot D, Clarke GN, Mackinnon DP, Moe E, Zoref L, Green C, Wolf SL, Greffrath E, Miller DJ, Lapin A. J. Am. Med. Assoc. JAMA 1996; 276(19): 1555-1562.

Affiliation

Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland 97201-3098, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, American Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8918852

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To test a team-based, educational intervention designed to reduce adolescent athletes' intent to use anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS).

DESIGN: Randomized prospective trial. SETTING: Thirty-one high school football teams in the Portland, Ore, area. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred two adolescent football players at experimental schools; 804 players at control schools. INTERVENTION: 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. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: 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.

RESULTS: 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 self-efficacy, improved nutrition and exercise behaviors, and reduced intentions to use AAS. Many other beneficial program effects remained significant at the long-term follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS: 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.

Keywords: American football;

Language: en