Uso de esteroides anabolizantes em adolescentes: uma revisão integrativa

Abstract

Objective: To understand the motivating factors leading adolescents to use anabolic steroids for body shaping purposes, as well as their knowledge regarding the relationship between use and health. Method: This is an integrative literature review conducted from January to June 2024, encompassing studies produced in recent years without a publication year criterion, in English and Portuguese languages, retrieved from PubMed, SciELO, BVS, and ScienceDirect databases. Search strategies involved crossing Portuguese and English descriptors: "Esteroides anabolizantes" / "Anabolic androgenic steroids"; "adolescente" / "adolescent"; "jovens" / "young"; "conhecimento" / "knowledge", using Boolean operators "and" and "or". Results: A total of 287 articles were initially identified, of which 24 were selected for full-text review, and finally, 12 articles were chosen for the final review. This rigorous process ensured that only studies of high relevance and quality were considered. Selected articles were organized alphabetically from "A" to "L" to facilitate discussion. Study results highlighted a critical category: "the use of chemical substances for body modification in adolescents", revealing that such substance use is steadily increasing over time, and young individuals lack adequate information about associated harms. Conclusions: The studies underscored that adolescent steroid users are misinformed about risks, focusing solely on perceived benefits, emphasizing the need for educational policies to raise awareness about these dangers.