A Preliminary Study on the Prevalence and Predictors of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid use among Gym Users in Kuwait: A preliminary study

Abstract

Recreational anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use has become a world-wide public health concern, however there is currently no published literature pertaining to its use in Kuwait. Therefore, the goal of this preliminary study was to determine the lifetime prevalence of AAS use among gym users in Kuwait. A logistic regression was also used to assess whether age, nationality, smoking, and discrepancies between ideal and perceived body image predicted AAS use among men. Participants were recruited from 6 gyms in Kuwait. Among the 200 individuals (86.5% male, 13.5% female) who participated, 35% reported AAS use. Only one female reported AAS use. When limiting the sample to Kuwaiti males between the ages of 18 and 30, the prevalence rose to 59.1%. Lower age, being Kuwaiti, smoking, and placing high importance on muscle tone and definition were all significant predictors of AAS use. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are also discussed.