Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use in the Nordic Countries: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression Analysis

• Published in: Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
• Main Authors: Sagoe Dominic, Torsheim Torbj⊘rn, Molde Helge, Schou Andreassen Cecilie, Pallesen Ståle
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Danish; English; Norwegian; Swedish
• Published: SAGE Publishing 2015
• Subjects: anabolic steroids; Nordic countries; Scandinavia; prevalence; meta-analysis; meta-regression; Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology; HV1-9960; Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform; HN1-995; Isi; Norway; Iceland
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1515/nsad-2015-0002; https://doaj.org/article/fff324ade822442294bd1bd57d39f49f

AIMS - To investigate the lifetime prevalence and moderators of non-medical AAS use in the five Nordic countries. METHODS - We conducted a meta-analysis and meta-regression using studies gathered from searches in PsycINFO, PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Google Scholar, and reference checks. Included were 32 studies that provided original data on 48 lifetime prevalence rates based on a total of 233,475 inhabitants of the Nordic countries. RESULTS - The overall lifetime prevalence obtained was 2.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-3.4, I 2 = 99.5, P < 0.001]. The prevalence for males, 2.9% (95% CI: 1.7-4.8, I 2 = 99.2, P < 0.001), was significantly higher (Qbet = 40.5, P < 0.001) than the rate for females, 0.2% (95% CI: 0.1-0.4, I 2 = 90.5, P < 0.001). Sweden has the highest prevalence of AAS use: 4.4%, followed by Norway: 2.4%, Finland: 0.8%, Iceland: 0.7%, and Denmark: 0.5%. Country, sample type, and male sample percentage significantly predicted AAS use prevalence in a meta-regression analysis. No indication of publication bias was found. CONCLUSION - Though subject to some limitations, our fndings suggest that non-medical AAS use should be regarded as a serious public health problem in the Nordic countries.