Prevalence and correlates of appearance- and performance-enhancing drugs and substances use among a national sample of college students aged 18-30

Objective: To identify the lifetime prevalence and correlates of appearance- and performance-enhancing drugs and substances (APEDS) use among a national sample of US college and university students. Participants: Student participants from the 2020-2021 Healthy Minds Study (N = 7,401; ages 18-30 years). Methods: Lifetime prevalence of five forms of APEDS was estimated. Modified Poisson regression analyses were conducted to determine the sociodemographic correlates of protein and creatine supplement use. Results: Lifetime protein (23.8%) and creatine (7.7%) supplement use were most common among the sample. Older age within young adulthood, male sex, perceiving oneself to be normal weight or somewhat overweight, any athletics participation, and 2-3 or >= 5 h/week of exercise were associated with greater likelihood of lifetime protein and creatine supplement use. Conclusions: Awareness and prevention efforts on the potential harms of APEDS use are needed on campuses, particularly among males and those who participate in athletics and high-frequency exercise.

Automated summary

This study aimed to identify the lifetime prevalence and correlates of appearance- and performance-enhancing drugs and substances (APEDS) use among US college and university students. The results showed that protein and creatine supplement use was most common among the sample. Older age within young adulthood, male sex, perceiving oneself to be normal weight or somewhat overweight, any athletics participation, and high-frequency exercise were associated with a greater likelihood of using protein and creatine supplements. Therefore, awareness and prevention efforts are needed on campuses, particularly among males and those who participate in athletics and high-frequency exercise.