Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #96672

Alan J. Sofalvi, PhD, Department of Health, SUNY Cortland, 104 Moffett, Cortland, NY 13045, 607-753-2980, asofalvi@twcny.rr.com

In 2005 an agreement was reached that would allow for a new policy pertaining to steroid use by major league baseball players. In 2004, the San Francisco Chronicle was in the forefront of newspaper coverage of steroid use by athletes in baseball and other sports. The purpose of this research was to analyze 2004 San Francisco Chronicle coverage of this topic. The search engine of the San Francisco Chronicle website was used to locate articles. Focus of the article, sport(s) involved in relation to steroid use and whether the article appeared on the front page of the print version of the Chronicle were recorded. Articles were placed into one category. The list of categories is below. Only items of 35 words or more were analyzed, with the exception of letters to the editor.

Concerns about steroid use by youth

Effects of steroids

Humor related to steroid use

Impact of steroid use on sports

Legal involvement regarding steroid use by athletes:

Media coverage/reaction to media coverage

Regulation within a sport

Reactions to steroid use

Other

Of the 335 articles analyzed (36 on the front page), most were reactions to the use of steroids by athletes (in support of athletes or being critical of them), dealt with regulations within a sport (being suspended from competition) or about legal involvement regarding steroid use (charges filed or trials related to steroids). Relatively few articles dealt with health effects of steroids. Baseball was the sport most focused upon in terms of steroid use.

Learning Objectives: