Amaral J M X, Kimergård A, Deluca P
Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), Addictions Department, King's College London, London, UK.
Harm Reduct J. 2025 Jul 28;22(1):129. doi: 10.1186/s12954-025-01269-x.
People using anabolic steroids adopt different strategies to manage risks and harms associated with the use of these substances. We investigated how users learn, develop and incorporate risk-management strategies, as well as the events triggering changes in their health-related behaviour.
Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted with anabolic steroid users living in the UK to discuss their risk-management strategies (19 males, 1 female; median age = 35.5 years; median time of anabolic steroid use = 9 years). Online interviews were transcribed verbatim and qualitative data was analysed via iterative categorisation.
The use of risk-management strategies was characterised as a continuous cycle of identification, prevention and control of risks and harms. Preventative strategies were more commonly adopted after many years of anabolic steroid use. Changes in life circumstances and adverse health conditions were described as common triggers for changes in behaviour, including the cessation of anabolic steroid use.
Our findings can inform interventions aimed at increasing awareness and promoting healthier behaviours among people who use anabolic steroids. Further research is needed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the risk-management strategies employed by this population.
使用合成代谢类固醇的人会采用不同策略来应对与使用这些物质相关的风险和危害。我们调查了使用者如何学习、制定和纳入风险管理策略，以及引发其健康相关行为改变的事件。
对居住在英国的合成代谢类固醇使用者进行了20次半结构化访谈，以讨论他们的风险管理策略（19名男性，1名女性；年龄中位数 = 35.5岁；合成代谢类固醇使用时间中位数 = 9年）。在线访谈逐字转录，定性数据通过迭代分类进行分析。
风险管理策略的使用被描述为一个识别、预防和控制风险及危害的连续循环。预防策略在使用合成代谢类固醇多年后更常被采用。生活环境的变化和不良健康状况被描述为行为改变的常见触发因素，包括停止使用合成代谢类固醇。
我们的研究结果可为旨在提高使用合成代谢类固醇者的意识并促进其更健康行为的干预措施提供参考。需要进一步研究来评估该人群所采用风险管理策略的有效性和安全性。
