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General practitioners' views and knowledge about anabolic steroid use—survey of GPs in a high prevalence area
Author(s) -
GUPTA LEENA,
TOWLER BERNIE
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
drug and alcohol review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.018
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1465-3362
pISSN - 0959-5236
DOI - 10.1080/09595239700186761
Subject(s) - global positioning system , anabolic steroid , anabolism , survey research , medicine , psychology , applied psychology , computer science , endocrinology , telecommunications
The aim of this study was to assess GPs' attitudes, clinical behaviour, information needs and contact with anabolic‐androgenic steroid (AAS) users in an area reported to have a high prevalence of AAS use. It was a cross‐sectional study of GPs using a self‐administered questionnaire. The sample comprised of 202 GPs practising in the Central Business District and inner city area of Sydney took part. Of 164 eligible GPs, 143 responded (87% response rate). Fifty‐three per cent of respondents reported that they had seen at least one patient in the last year who told them they had used AASs for non‐medical purposes; 6% indicated that they had seen more than 20 patients who mentioned AAS use. Two per cent of respondents reported prescribing AASs for body‐building purposes and 6% indicated a willingness to do so in a hypothetical situation. Forty per cent of respondents reported that they would be willing to provide harm minimization advice to AAS users; 77% of respondents were interested in obtaining more information about AAS use, most frequently requested in the form of a fact sheet or pamphlet. Most GPs in the area surveyed had some contact with AAS users in their practice. Some GPs had favourable attitudes towards prescription of AASs for non‐medical purposes. These attitudes require further exploration. The results of this survey invite a reappraisal of many policy initiatives involving GPs aimed at reducing AAS‐related harm.