Aims: To analyse correlates of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) use in the general male population. Design: A national household survey. Participants: Individuals aged 15–64 years in Sweden. Measurements: AAS use and potential correlates of AAS use, including demographic data, financial situation, physical training, and substance use. In hierarchical logistic regression analyses, lifetime users of AAS (n = 240) were compared to all nonusers (n = 13,920) and to nonusers who reported that they had been offered AAS (n = 487). Results: AAS use was most strongly associated with a lifetime history of illicit drug use and the misuse of prescription drugs. When controlling for substance use, AAS was associated with physical training and lower education. Illicit drug use and misuse of prescription drugs separated AAS users from nonusers who had been offered AAS. No associations were seen with AUDIT scores for risk alcohol drinking. Conclusions: In this general population survey in men, lifetime use of AAS appears to share common characteristics with illicit substance use. Both substance use variables and physical training remained associated with AAS use when controlling for one another.

Despite limited effort, and despite the severe situation of intravenous heroin users, mobile telephone contact can be used with heavy drug users in the present setting.

Respondent-driven sampling originating from syringe exchange clients may have difficulty reaching beyond the population of injectors and syringe exchangers. The technique, new to this geographical setting, has potential for future studies, but particular efforts may be necessary to study out-of-treatment heavy drug users unknown to the syringe exchange program.