Drug and Alcohol Dependence 114 (2011) 100–109
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/drugalcdep
Review
The use of anabolic androgenic steroids and polypharmacy:
A review of the literature
Tonya Dodge
∗
, Margaux F. Hoagland
1
Skidmore College, 815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, USA
article info
Article history:
Received 8 July 2010
Received in revised form 8 November 2010
Accepted 10 November 2010
Available online 12 January 2011
Keywords:
Anabolic steroids
Polypharmacy
Performance enhancing substances
Dietary supplements
Drug use
abstract
Background: A review of the literature was conducted to examine the relationship between the use of
anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) use and the use of other drugs.
Methods: Studies published between the years of 1995 and 2010 were included in the review.
Results: The use of AAS is positively associated with use of alcohol, illicit drugs and legal performance
enhancing substances. In contrast, the relationship between AAS and the use of tobacco and cannabis is
mixed.
Conclusion: Results of the review indicate that the relationship between AAS use and other substance
use depends on the type of substance studied. Implications for treatment and prevention are discussed.
Suggestions for future research are provided.
© 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Contents
1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 101
2. Methods .............................................................................................................................................. 101
2.1. Selection of studies ........................................................................................................................... 101
2.2. Inclusion criteria .............................................................................................................................. 101
2.3. Study characteristics ......................................................................................................................... 101
2.3.1. Sample and design .................................................................................................................. 101
2.3.2. Measures of drug use ............................................................................................................... 101
3. Results ................................................................................................................................................ 102
3.1. Alcohol ........................................................................................................................................ 102
3.1.1. Bivariate relationships .............................................................................................................. 102
3.1.2. Multivariate analyses ............................................................................................................... 102
3.2. Tobacco ....................................................................................................................................... 102
3.2.1. Bivariate relationships .............................................................................................................. 102
3.2.2. Multivariate analyses ............................................................................................................... 105
3.3. Cannabis ...................................................................................................................................... 106
3.3.1. Bivariate relationships .............................................................................................................. 106
3.3.2. Mulitvariate analyses ............................................................................................................... 106
3.4. Illicit substances .............................................................................................................................. 106
3.4.1. Bivariate relationships .............................................................................................................. 106
3.4.2. Multivariate analyses ............................................................................................................... 107
3.5. Legal performance enhancing substances ................................................................................................... 107
3.5.1. Bivariate relationships .............................................................................................................. 107
3.5.2. Multivariate analyses ............................................................................................................... 107
∗
Corresponding author at: Department of Psychology, Skidmore College, 815 North Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866, USA. Tel.: +1 518 580 8309;
fax: +1 518 580 5319.
E-mail addresses: tdodge@skidmore.edu (T. Dodge), mhoaglan@skidmore.edu (M.F. Hoagland).
1
Tel.: +1 518 580 8309; fax: +1 518 580 5319.
0376-8716/$ – see front matter © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.11.011