The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on August 26, 2009
The European Journal of Public Health, doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckp124
Use of dietary supplements and anabolic-androgenic steroids among Finnish adolescents in 1991–2005
Ville M. Mattila1,2,3, Jari Parkkari1,3,4, Lauri Laakso5, Harri Pihlajamäki2,6 and Arja Rimpelä1
1 The School of Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland
2 Centre of Military Medicine, Lahti, Finland
3 Research Unit of Pirkanmaa Hospital District and Department of Trauma, Musculoskeletal Surgery and Rehabilitation, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
4 Tampere Research Centre of Sports Medicine, The UKK Institute, Tampere, Finland
5 Department of Sport Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
6 Department of Medical Services, Defence Staff, Finnish Defence Forces, Helsinki, Finland
Correspondence: Ville Mattila, M.D., PhD, Tommilanraitti 1a, 36270 Kangasala, Finland, tel: +358 40 582 1356, fax: +358 3 3551 6057, e-mail: Ville.Mattila{at}uta.fi
Received March 27, 2009 , accepted July 30, 2009
Background: The aim of the study was to describe the prevalence, trends and associated factors of dietary supplements (DS) and anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) use among Finnish adolescents. Methods: The sample comprised 30 511 adolescents aged 12–18 years, of which 22 519 (74%) answered a questionnaire. We also studied associations between 14 socioeconomic, health and health behavioural variables and DS and AAS use by logistic regression. Results: The proportion of respondents using DS was 45% during the past year and it increased linearly by age. Vitamins (37%) and herbal products (13%) were the most common DSs. In 1991, 9% of the boys aged 16–18 years reported protein use, while the frequency in 2005 was 17% (P < 0.001). AAS use was uncommon; only 53 boys (0.5%) and 20 girls (0.2%) reported AAS use. The strongest factors associated with DS use in multivariate model were physical exercise outside sports clubs (OR 1.9; 95% CI: 1.6–2.2), and in sports clubs (OR 1.7; 95% CI: 1.5–1.9). Recurrent drunkenness (OR 5.8; 95% CI: 1.5–21.6) and peer drug use in boys (OR 2.1; 95% CI: 1.2–3.7) were the risk factors for AAS use, whereas physical exercise outside sports clubs (OR 0.3; 95% CI: 0.1–0.5) was a protecting factor. Conclusions: Although the overall use of DS remained at the same level during the study period, there was a slight trend towards increasing use of vitamin and protein supplements. DS use is associated with frequent sports participation and poorer than average health, while AAS use is associated with health-compromising behaviours.
Keywords: adolescents, anabolic-androgenic steroids, dietary supplements, health behaviour, risk indicators, epidemiology.