![Sample our Health and Social Care journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5938/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Health-Social-Care.jpg"})
ABSTRACT
We investigated the relationship between aggression and anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use intent among adolescents. A nationally representative sample of Norwegian 18-year-olds (N = 1,334, females = 58.7%) took part in a survey in 2013 (response rate = 64.9%). Participants completed the physical and verbal subscales of the Short-Form Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire, the Intent to use AAS Scale, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. They also provided demographic information and answered questions about AAS use, gambling participation, as well as cigarette and snus use. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Lifetime and past year prevalence of AAS use was 0.1%. Between 0.4% and 1.7% of participants disclosed intent to use while between 1.1% and 2.5% expressed neutral intent to initiate AAS use. Compared to persons low on aggression, individuals high on aggression were more likely to report intent and curiosity towards initiating AAS use. Our findings indicate that aggression is a risk factor for AAS use contemplation among adolescents.
Glossary
Aggression: Behavior carried out with the immediate intention to harm.
Anabolic–androgenic steroids: Testosterone and its synthetic derivatives misused by some healthy persons for enhanced physical appearance, strength, wellbeing and sports/occupational performance.
Declaration of interest
The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Dominic Sagoe
Dominic Sagoe, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Norway. His main area of research is performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs) particularly anabolic–androgenic steroids. He also works on gambling and other behavioral and chemical addictions.
Rune A. Mentzoni
Rune A. Mentzoni is a psychologist currently working as a special advisor at Innlandet Hospital Trust in Norway. He received his PhD from the University of Bergen in 2013. In the early stages of the present publication, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Norway. His research interests include the psychology of gambling and gaming.
Daniel Hanss
Daniel Hanss received his PhD from the University of Bergen in 2012 and is now a professor at the Department of Social and Cultural Sciences and Social Work at Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Germany. His research interests include gambling and consumer decision-making.
Ståle Pallesen
Ståle Pallesen, PhD, is a professor at the Department of Psychosocial Science, University of Bergen, Norway. His main research interest includes sleep and sleep problems as well as chemical and nonchemical addictions.