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Examining Potential Substance Use Disorders Among Former Interscholastic Athletes
Philip Veliz1, Sean Esteban McCabe1
1a Institute for Research on Women & Gender (IRWG) , University of Michigan , Ann Arbor , Michigan , USA.
High school sports participation is linked to higher odds of potential alcohol use disorders in young adults. No link was found for drug abuse disorders, though certain sports showed associations.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Addiction Psychiatry
- Public Health
Background:
- Limited use of standardized measures for substance use disorders in sports research.
- Focus on competitive school-sponsored sports (interscholastic sports) and young adult substance use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between past interscholastic sports participation and potential substance use disorders in young adulthood.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Student Life Survey (SLS) with 3442 young adult participants.
- Assessed past involvement in interscholastic sports during high school.
Main Results:
- Interscholastic sports participants showed higher odds of positive screens for potential alcohol use disorders.
- No association found between interscholastic sports and potential drug abuse disorders.
- Specific sports (crew, football) linked to alcohol use disorder screens; lacrosse linked to drug abuse disorder screens.
Conclusions:
- Interscholastic sports organizations should recognize the potential link between sports and substance use disorders.
- Recommends implementing brief substance use screeners during physicals for athletes.
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