Incorporating parents in the anti-doping fight: A test of the viability of a parent-based prevention program

Summary

One understudied approach to anabolic steroid (AS) prevention programs is the inclusion of the role of parents. Parents may be in a unique position to send consistent messages about AS that transcend changes in coaches and team affiliation. Additionally, parents are in the position to create age-appropriate communications consistent with their own personal values. Despite the potential of parent-based approaches, there is very little research to guide the development of such programs. The purpose of the present study was to test whether parent-based programs may be a useful approach in the prevention of AS and performance enhancing nutritional supplement (NS) use.

Methodology
A sample of about 250 adolescent athletes from three high schools in the United States (US) completed a questionnaire. Three aspects of parent-adolescent communication were assessed: discussions about the performance effects (e.g., train harder), side effects and protective factors (e.g., morality) associated with AS use and NS use. Additionally, adolescents reported the extent to which they perceived their parents to be a good source of information (i.e., the quality of information) and whether they would go to their parents for information about AS and NS.

Results
For adolescents who did not perceive their parents to be good sources of information or who would not go to parents for information, more parent-adolescent communication about AS was associated with greater intentions to use AS in the future. This was true for all aspects of communication: discussions about performance effects associated with AS use, side effects of AS use, and protective factors. In contrast, for those adolescents who perceived their parents to be good sources of information or who would go to their parents for such information, increased communication did not lead to an increase in intentions to use AS and may lead to decreased intentions to use AS. With respect to NS use, results showed that discussions about performance effects were associated with higher intentions to use NS, while discussions about protective effects were associated with lower intentions to use NS. Discussions about side effects appeared to be unrelated to intentions to use NS. The quality of information offered by parents and whether the adolescent would consult his/her parents for this information had no effect on intentions to use NS.

Significance for Clean Sport

Results suggest that increasing communication about AS, which involves information about performance effects, side effects and protective factors, will not lead to increases in intentions to use AS when adolescents perceive their parents to be a good source of information and are willing to go to parents to get such information. This implies that parents can convey information about AS without fear that such discussions will necessarily place adolescents at higher risk of using AS in the future. However, results also indicate that increasing communication about AS, which involves information about performance effects, side effects and protective factors, may lead to increases in intentions to use AS when adolescents do not perceive their parents to be a good source of information and when they are not willing to go to parents for such information. With respect to use of NS, discussions about performance effects were associated with higher intentions to use whereas discussions about protective factors were associated with lower intentions to use NS.

Related publications

Influence of Parent–Adolescent Communication About Anabolic Steroids on Adolescent Athletes’ Willingness to Try Performance-Enhancing Substances

Parent-based interventions: implications for doping prevention