Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38481173›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2024

Exploring the prevalence of anabolic steroid use among men and women resistance training practitioners after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rastegar Hoseini, Zahra Hoseini

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 13% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Knowledge, attitude and practice towards anabolic-androgenic steroids utilisation among gymnasium attendees in Al-Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2025
    Article
  8. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Rastegar HoseiniDepartment of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, P.O. Box. 6714414971, Iran. R.hoseini@razi.ac.ir.ORCID 0000-0001-8685-2471
Zahra HoseiniDepartment of Exercise Physiology, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Razi University, Kermanshah, P.O. Box. 6714414971, Iran.ORCID 0000-0002-7933-2221
Razi University · IR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on individual health and fitness routines globally. Resistance training, in particular, has become increasingly popular among men and women looking to maintain or improve their physical fitness during the pandemic. However, using Anabolic Steroids (AS) for performance enhancement in resistance training has known adverse effects. Thus, this study aimed to explore the prevalence of AS use among men and women resistance training practitioners after the COVID-19 pandemic.

methodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among 3,603 resistance training practitioners (1,855 men and 1,748 women) in various geographical locations impacted by COVID-19. The participants were asked to complete self-administered questionnaires, which included questions regarding demographic information, training habits, and current or prior usage of AS. The data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software and the chi-square method, with a significance level of (P < 0.05).

resultsA total of 3603 men and women resistance training practitioners completed the survey. In the study, 53.05% of men and 41.99% of women used anabolic and androgenic steroids. Of those men who used steroids, 29.47% used Testosterone, while 31.20% of women used Winstrol. Additionally, 50.30% of men used steroids via injection, while 49.05% of women used them orally. According to the study, 49.99% of the participants had 6 to 12 months of experience with resistance training, and 64.25% of them underwent three training sessions per week. The analysis using the χ2 test did not reveal any significant difference between men and women in terms of duration of bodybuilding, frequency per week, and engagement in other activities.

conclusionThis study shows that a significant proportion of men and women resistance training practitioners used AS, particularly among young adults with limited training experience. Thus, there is a need for targeted education and awareness campaigns to address the hazards of AS use and promote healthy training habits during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indexed as

Anabolic AgentsCOVID-19Resistance TrainingAnabolic Androgenic SteroidsCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMalePandemicsPrevalenceSteroidsTestosterone CongenersYoung AdultAnabolic AgentsAnabolic Androgenic SteroidsSteroidsTestosterone CongenersASAwareness campaignsCOVID-19Resistance trainingYoung adults

Identifiers

PMID38481173
PMCPMC10938795
OpenAlexW4392763275

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.