Sports enhancement dietary supplements are products designed to enhance strength and performance. There has been an increase of use over the past decade with an estimated 42% of high school athletes using supplements on a weekly basis. Attitudes and beliefs about the effectiveness of these substances seems to be influenced by a variety of sources including coaches, parents and athletic trainers. The influence one receives from significant others and one's motivation to comply may differ between males and females. As such, the purposes of this study were: 1) to determine whether attitudes are better predictors than subjective norms for male/female adolescent supplement use and 2) to assess the influence of significant others (coaches, parents, trainers) on attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions among male/female adolescent students. Results of this study indicated that trainers were the best predictor on attitudes for males, whereas trainers and parents were found to be the best predictor for females. Parents were the best predictor on subjective norms for both males and females. Attitudes were found to be better predictors than subjective norms on intention for both males and females. Lastly, trainers had the greatest influence on intentions among males, whereas parents had the greatest influence on intentions among females. From a public health standpoint, it is important that health promotion professionals are made aware the influencing power that trainers and parents can exert on adolescents in order to prevent the senseless death and disability of American's youth that can result from improper dietary supplement use.
Learning Objectives: 1. Recognize the influence significant others have on behavior. 2. Understand the differences between males and females regarding dietary supplement use. 3. Understand the various reasons why adolescents may use sports enhancement dietary supplement
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.