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Attitudes of injecting male anabolic androgenic steroid users to media influence, health messages and gender constructs

Attitudes of injecting male anabolic androgenic steroid users to media influence, health messages and gender constructs
Attitudes of injecting male anabolic androgenic steroid users to media influence, health messages and gender constructs

Purpose
This study seeks to gain some understanding about the attitudes of anabolic?androgenic steroid (AAS) users towards the media and whether their constructs of masculinity are influenced by this. It also aims to explore their attitudes towards health information.

Design/methodology/approach
A self?completion questionnaire containing 35 items of both open and closed questions was designed for the study. All participants were English?speaking, injecting male steroid users, 16 years or older whose trigger for using was confidence and self?esteem, and were registered clients at either of the two included UK needle exchange services.

Findings
Participants and other AAS users were open about their use to each other, but not to people external to that sub?culture. They denied media influence, although they thought that most men in the media with muscular bodies used AAS. They associate masculinity with strength and muscle. They seemed knowledgeable about the health implications of AAS, but would not tell a health professional unless asked directly. There appears to be a sub?culture normalisation regarding AAS use, with the trivialisation of health messages, their minimisation of the possibility of negative effects happening to them, and comparison of oneself to others they regard as inferior in some way.

Originality/value
The paper explores the need for a credible and non?judgmental source of information for users of AAS.
anabolic androgenic steroids, constructs, masculinity, health messages, media influence, gender, personal health
1745-9265
56-70
Walker, Dawn‐Marie
5d4c78b7-4411-493e-8844-b64efc72a1e8
Eli Joubert, Hercules
d1f92dc9-a121-4245-9ea5-dab4a328e5c3
Walker, Dawn‐Marie
5d4c78b7-4411-493e-8844-b64efc72a1e8
Eli Joubert, Hercules
d1f92dc9-a121-4245-9ea5-dab4a328e5c3

Walker, Dawn‐Marie and Eli Joubert, Hercules (2011) Attitudes of injecting male anabolic androgenic steroid users to media influence, health messages and gender constructs. Drugs and Alcohol Today, 11 (2), 56-70. (doi:10.1108/17459261111174019).

Record type: Article

Abstract


Purpose
This study seeks to gain some understanding about the attitudes of anabolic?androgenic steroid (AAS) users towards the media and whether their constructs of masculinity are influenced by this. It also aims to explore their attitudes towards health information.

Design/methodology/approach
A self?completion questionnaire containing 35 items of both open and closed questions was designed for the study. All participants were English?speaking, injecting male steroid users, 16 years or older whose trigger for using was confidence and self?esteem, and were registered clients at either of the two included UK needle exchange services.

Findings
Participants and other AAS users were open about their use to each other, but not to people external to that sub?culture. They denied media influence, although they thought that most men in the media with muscular bodies used AAS. They associate masculinity with strength and muscle. They seemed knowledgeable about the health implications of AAS, but would not tell a health professional unless asked directly. There appears to be a sub?culture normalisation regarding AAS use, with the trivialisation of health messages, their minimisation of the possibility of negative effects happening to them, and comparison of oneself to others they regard as inferior in some way.

Originality/value
The paper explores the need for a credible and non?judgmental source of information for users of AAS.

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More information

Published date: 2011
Keywords: anabolic androgenic steroids, constructs, masculinity, health messages, media influence, gender, personal health
Organisations: Faculty of Health Sciences

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 372882
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/372882
ISSN: 1745-9265
PURE UUID: 446fd7b8-e0d3-432f-b7c6-c9b085a79dc6
ORCID for Dawn‐Marie Walker: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-2135-1363

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 22 Dec 2014 09:58
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 03:51

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Contributors

Author: Dawn‐Marie Walker ORCID iD
Author: Hercules Eli Joubert

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