Table 3 Qualitative studies presenting age(s) of AAS use initiation

14 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Kusserow [32]; Pope [45]; Tallon [11]

15 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Grogan [26]; Kusserow [32]; Skårberg [48, 50]; Tallon [11]

16 years

Annitto [19]; Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Grogan [26]; Korkia [12]; Skårberg [49]; Kimergård [8]; Joubert [7]; Tallon [11]

17 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Fudala [25]; Kusserow [32]; Tallon [11]

18 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Grogan [26]; Korkia [12]; Kusserow [32]; Pope [44]; Scull [47]; Joubert [7]; Tallon [11]

19 years

Boyadjiev [22]; Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Grogan [26]; Korkia [13]; Pope [44]; Joubert [7]; Tallon [11]

20 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Cornford [9]; Grogan [26]; Pope [43]; Skårberg [49]; Tallon [11]

21 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Cornford [9]; Fudala [25]; Grogan [26]; Katz [29]; Pope [43]; Skårberg [49]; Tallon [11]

22 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Cornford [9]; Hegazy [28]

23 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Cornford [9]; Grogan [26]; Korkia [13]; Olrich [40]; Tallon [11]

24 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Cornford [9]; Fudala [25]; Malone [33]; Maycock [34, 35]; Pope [44]; Joubert [7]; Tallon [11]

25 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Cornford [9]; Maycock [34, 35]; Tallon [11]

26 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Cornford [9]; Fudala [25]; Tallon [11]

27 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Cornford [9]; Fudala [25]; Tallon [11]

28 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Cornford [9]; Skårberg [48, 50]; Tallon [11]

29 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Cornford [9]; Grogan [26]; Tallon [11]

30 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Cornford [9]; Pope [43]; Tallon [11]

31 to 54 years

Copeland [23] and Peters [24]; Cornford [9]; Korkia [12]; Rashid [14]; Tallon [11]

Not specified

Bardick [20]; Bilard [21]; Fudala [25]; Gruber [27]; Joubert [7]; Katz [29]; Khorrami [30]; Kimergård [6, 8]; Klötz [31]; Korkia [12, 13]; Kusserow [32]; Maycock [34, 35]; McKillop [36]; Midgley [37]; Nøkleby [38]; O’Sullivan [39]; Olrich [40]; Petrocelli [42]; Schwingel [46]; Scull [47]; Skårberg [48, 50]; Tallon [11]; Todd [51]; Vassalo [52]; Walker [10]; Wilson-Fearon [53]