Jason M Nagata1, Kyle T Ganson2, Scott Griffiths3, Deborah Mitchison4,5, Andrea K Garber1, Eric Vittinghoff6, Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo6,7, Stuart B Murray8. 1. Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. 2. School of Social Work, Simmons University, Boston, MA, USA. 3. Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia. 4. Translational Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia. 5. Centre for Emotional Health, Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia. 6. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. 7. Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA. 8. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of muscle-enhancing behaviors in adolescents and young adults using a nationally representative sample in the USA and to examine differences by sex, race/ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, body mass index, and participation in team sports. METHODS: Prospective cohort data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, Waves I through III (1994-2002) were analyzed. Engagement in muscle-enhancing behaviors including dietary changes, exercise and weightlifting, supplement use, performance-enhancing substances, and anabolic androgenic steroids were recorded. Multiple logistic regression models using generalized estimating equations, incorporating robust standard errors with clustering by school and within persons, and using national sample weighting, were used to determine associations with muscle-enhancing behaviors across three data collection waves. RESULTS: Of the 18,924 adolescents at baseline, 29.2% of males and 7.0% of females reported weight gain attempts, while 25.2% of males and 3.8% of females reported any muscle-enhancing behavior. All muscle-enhancing behaviors were more common in males compared to females (p<0.001). Among young men 18-26 years old, 15.6% reported using legal performance enhancing substances and 2.7% reported using androgenic anabolic steroids. Factors that were associated with muscle-enhancing behaviors in males across three data collection waves included Black or Hispanic/Latino race/ethnicity, age over 14 years, higher parental education, lower body mass index, and participation in team sports. CONCLUSIONS: Muscle-enhancing behaviors ranging from dietary changes to supplement and androgenic anabolic steroid use are common among adolescent and young adult males. Clinicians should consider screening for muscle-enhancing behaviors in these populations.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the prevalence of muscle-enhancing behaviors in adolescents and young adults using a nationally representative sample in the USA and to examine differences by sex, race/ethnicity, age, socioeconomic status, body mass index, and participation in team sports. METHODS: Prospective cohort data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, Waves I through III (1994-2002) were analyzed. Engagement in muscle-enhancing behaviors including dietary changes, exercise and weightlifting, supplement use, performance-enhancing substances, and anabolic androgenic steroids were recorded. Multiple logistic regression models using generalized estimating equations, incorporating robust standard errors with clustering by school and within persons, and using national sample weighting, were used to determine associations with muscle-enhancing behaviors across three data collection waves. RESULTS: Of the 18,924 adolescents at baseline, 29.2% of males and 7.0% of females reported weight gain attempts, while 25.2% of males and 3.8% of females reported any muscle-enhancing behavior. All muscle-enhancing behaviors were more common in males compared to females (p<0.001). Among young men 18-26 years old, 15.6% reported using legal performance enhancing substances and 2.7% reported using androgenic anabolic steroids. Factors that were associated with muscle-enhancing behaviors in males across three data collection waves included Black or Hispanic/Latino race/ethnicity, age over 14 years, higher parental education, lower body mass index, and participation in team sports. CONCLUSIONS: Muscle-enhancing behaviors ranging from dietary changes to supplement and androgenic anabolic steroid use are common among adolescent and young adult males. Clinicians should consider screening for muscle-enhancing behaviors in these populations.
Authors: Jason M Nagata; Anna Grandis; Paola Bojorquez-Ramirez; Anthony Nguyen; Amanda E Downey; Kyle T Ganson; Khushi P Patel; Vanessa I Machen; Sara M Buckelew; Andrea K Garber Journal: J Eat Disord Date: 2022-07-18
Authors: Jason M Nagata; Vivienne M Hazzard; Kyle T Ganson; Samantha L Hahn; Dianne Neumark-Sztainer; Marla E Eisenberg Journal: Int J Eat Disord Date: 2021-12-14 Impact factor: 5.791
Authors: Kyle T Ganson; Deborah Mitchison; Rachel F Rodgers; Mitchell L Cunningham; Stuart B Murray; Jason M Nagata Journal: Eat Weight Disord Date: 2021-05-22 Impact factor: 4.652
Authors: Samantha L Hahn; Vivienne M Hazzard; Katie A Loth; Nicole Larson; Laura Klein; Dianne Neumark-Sztainer Journal: Prev Med Date: 2022-01-21 Impact factor: 4.018
Authors: Jason M Nagata; F Hunter McGuire; Jason M Lavender; Tiffany A Brown; Stuart B Murray; Emilio J Compte; Chloe J Cattle; Annesa Flentje; Micah E Lubensky; Juno Obedin-Maliver; Mitchell R Lunn Journal: Eat Behav Date: 2022-01-12
Authors: Jason M Nagata; Kyle T Ganson; Mitchell L Cunningham; Deborah Mitchison; Jason M Lavender; Aaron J Blashill; Holly C Gooding; Stuart B Murray Journal: PLoS One Date: 2020-12-15 Impact factor: 3.240