Body image and willingness to risk health: A comparison between users and non-users of anabolic-androgenic steroids and other appearance/performance-enhancing drugs

Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids (AAS) and other Appearance/Physique-Enhancing Drugs (APED's) have become a topic of increasing interest and concern over recent years. The role of body image in the use of these drugs has been subject to some research and a good deal of speculation. The current study aimed to further elucidate the relationship between body image and APED use among weight-lifting men. Data were collected from 224 male respondents using a computerized survey administered over the Internet.; Participants completed questions regarding demographics, physical indices, APED use, body image variables, perfectionism, and willingness to risk years of one's life in order to achieve physical training goals. Specific body image variables studies were: Appearance Evaluation (an individual's rating of his physical appearance), Appearance Orientation (a measure of the investment or importance an individual places on physical appearance) and appearance-related negative affect (as measured by the SIBID). Users of APED's (n=173) were compared to non-users (n=51) on the variables of interest while controlling for age. Users reported lower body fat percentage, greater investment in appearance, greater appearance-related affect, and willingness to risk more years of their lives than non-users. Users did not differ from non-users with respect to perfectionism. Logistic regression analysis predicting APED use revealed age, Appearance Evaluation, Appearance Orientation, appearance-related negative affect (SIBID), and life years willing to risk as significant positive predictors. Body fat percentage and perfectionism emerged as significant negative predictors in the model. Results indicate that, in spite of being more in shape and rating their bodies more positively, users of APED's experience more negative emotion in relation to their appearance than non-users. Further implications of these results are discussed, as well as limitations and indications for future research.