Identifying best-practice amongst health professionals who work with people using image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs) through participatory action research

ABSTRACT

The use of image and performance enhancing drugs (IPEDs), such as anabolic-androgenic steroids to grow muscle mass, is a growing public health concern in the UK and across the globe. An important indicator is the rapid rise of people who inject steroids accessing needle and syringe programmes (NSPs). However, NSP workers and other health professionals often report having a lack of knowledge regarding IPEDs, and not feeling confident when engaging with this group. Adding to this is a lack of evidence-based educational/training materials, making it difficult for health professionals to improve their skills in this area. Using a participatory action research approach (PAR), we collaborated with health professionals who had experience in working with this client group (n=52), particularly NSP staff, to address this knowledge gap. Consistent with our PAR approach, health professionals were involved in all stages of this research, from establishing the research questions through to disseminating the findings. To identify current best practices, a workshop was organised to collaboratively determine approaches to improve professional development in this area and to ultimately facilitate better engagement with people who use IPEDs. The participating health professionals described issues and solutions in relation to the collection of clinical data, staff training, client contact and service provision – with community engagement being mentioned as a key element to improve and create awareness of health services, and to strengthen community partnerships. By adopting a PAR approach, we have co-produced guidance on effective engagement with consumers that is both evidence-based and experience-informed.

KEYWORDS:

• Image and performance enhancing drugs (ipeds)
• anabolic-androgenic steroids (aas)
• needle and syringe programmes (nsps)
• harm reduction
• action research
• doping
• human enhancement drugs

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank all the attendees of the workshop and others who have provided input throughout the research process.

Disclosure statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Additional information

Funding

The workshop was funded as part of the Arts and Social Sciences Faculty International Workshop Fund of the University of New South Wales.

Notes on contributors

Katinka van de Ven

Katinka van de Ven is a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Rural Criminology, University of New England and a Visiting Fellow as part of the Drug Policy Modelling Program, Social Policy Research Centre, UNSW. Katinka specializes in the use and supply of performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs), which includes projects surrounding steroids and the law, harm minimization, and improving healthcare services for people who use enhancement drugs. Katinka also conducts research in relation to alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment services systems more broadly, amongst others around funding mechanisms, workforce characteristics and client outcomes. Katinka is a Honorary Research Fellow at the Public Health Institute, Liverpool John Moores University. She is an Editor-in-Chief of Performance Enhancement & Health and the Director of the Human Enhancement Drugs Network (HEDN).

Ian Boardley

Ian Boardley is a Reader in the Sport and Exercise Psychology at the University of Birmingham. Ian completed his PhD in the School of Sport, Exercise, & Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham. His research spans several areas relevant to moral issues in sport and exercise psychology. The predominant focus of this work is on the psychosocial processes that underpin the use of performance enhancing substances in competitive sport and fitness contexts. In particular, he is internationally recognized for his work introducing the construct of moral disengagement to the field of sport and exercise research.

Martin Chandler

Martin Chandler is a PhD student at the University of Birmingham, exploring “Effects of Permitted Forms of Performance Enhancement on Determinants of Doping in UK Student-Athletes”, having previously worked there as a Research Fellow in Performance Enhancing Drugs. Prior to joining the University of Birmingham, Martin was a Research Fellow in Human Enhancement Drugs, based at Liverpool John Moores University and has been studying the use of Image and Performance Enhancing Drugs (IPEDs) since 2006.  He has presented at both national and international conferences on a range of issues around IPED use, contributed to local and national government guidance on the provision of services for IPED clients, designed and delivered training for a wide range of professional audiences around IPED use and has provided expert witness testimony in a number of high profile cases involving anabolic steroids.