Influence of Parent–Adolescent Communication About Anabolic Steroids on Adolescent Athletes’ Willingness to Try Performance-Enhancing Substances

Abstract

Background: Performance-enhancing substances are used by adolescent athletes to help improve performance. Anabolic steroids (AS) are performance-enhancing substances that pose significant health problems when used by adolescents. Objectives: Objectives were to: (1) examine the extent to which parents and adolescents discuss AS and (2) test whether parent–adolescent communication about AS can generalize to, and influence, decisions to use other types of performance-enhancing substances. Method: Adolescent athletes (n = 244) completed an anonymous questionnaire that assessed the extent to which the adolescents discussed with their parents the performance outcomes and protective factors associated with AS, their intentions to use AS, and their willingness to try a newly developed, potentially illegal performance-enhancing substance. Data were collected during 2009–2010. Results: Adolescents reported relatively low levels of communication with their parents about anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS). Communication with parents about the performance outcomes associated with AS was a positive predictor of willingness to try a newly developed performance-enhancing substance (b = 0.31, p < .01) and intentions to use AS (b = 0.54, p < .01). Communication with parents about protective factors predicted willingness to try a new performance-enhancing substance (b = −0.24, p < .01), but not intentions (b = −0.20, p > .77). Conclusions/Importance: Parents should highlight the protective factors and avoid emphasizing the performance outcomes associated with AS in discussions with their adolescents. Discussions about AS may influence adolescents’ decisions to use other types of performance-enhancing substances.

Keywords:

• Performance enhancing substances
• anabolic steroids
• willingness
• adolescents
• parent–adolescent communication

THE AUTHORS

Tonya Dodge, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at The George Washington University. Her research interests are in understanding decision-making processes related to substance use with a particular emphasis on anabolic steroid use among adolescents.

Paige Clarke, M.A., is a doctoral student in the Applied Social Psychology program at The George Washington University. Her research focuses on identifying psychological mechanisms that underlie substance use behaviors.