Body Image and Eating Disorders are Common among Professional and Amateur Athletes Using Performance and Image Enhancing Drugs: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

The use of performance and image enhancing drugs (PIEDs) is not uncommon in athletes and appears to be associated with several psychopathological disorders of unclear prevalence. In this multicenter, cross-sectional study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of body image disorders (BIDs) and eating disorders (EDs) in PIED-using athletes vs. PIED nonusers. We enrolled 84 consecutive professional and amateur athletes training in sport centers in Italy, who underwent semi-structured interviews (SCID-I, SCID-II) and completed the Body Image Concern Inventory (BICI) and the Sick, Control, One, Fat, Food Eating Disorder Screening Test (SCOFF). PIEDs were searched for in participants' blood, urine, and hair. Of these, 18 (21.4%) used PIEDs, the most common being anabolic androgenic steroids, amphetamine-like substances, coffee and caffeine derivatives, synthetic cathinones, and ephedrine. PIED users and nonusers did not differ in socio-demographic characteristics, but differed in clinical and psychopathological features, with PIED users being characterized by higher physical activity levels, higher daily coffee and psychotropic medication use (e.g., benzodiazepines), more SCID diagnoses of psychiatric disorders, especially substance use disorder, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), EDs, and general anxiety disorder, higher BICI scores (indicating higher risk of BDD), and higher SCOFF scores (suggesting higher risks for BIDs and EDs).

• Authors: Daria Piacentino, Georgios D Kotzalidis, Livia Longo, Antonio Pavan, Luciano Stivali, Guido Stivali, Stefano Ferracuti, Roberto Brugnoli, Paola Frati, Vittorio Fineschi, Paolo Girardi, Gabriele Sani
• Journal: Journal of psychoactive drugs (J Psychoactive Drugs) 2017 Nov-Dec Vol. 49 Issue 5 Pg. 373-384 ISSN: 2159-9777 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 28777732 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study)

Chemical References

• Performance-Enhancing Substances

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Athletes (psychology)
• Body Dysmorphic Disorders (diagnosis, epidemiology, psychology)
• Body Image
• Cross-Sectional Studies
• Doping in Sports
• Feeding Behavior
• Feeding and Eating Disorders (diagnosis, epidemiology, psychology)
• Female
• Humans
• Interviews as Topic
• Italy (epidemiology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Performance-Enhancing Substances (adverse effects)
• Prevalence
• Risk Factors
• Substance-Related Disorders (diagnosis, epidemiology, psychology)
• Surveys and Questionnaires
• Young Adult