Do alcohol consumers exercise more? Findings from a national survey.
OBJECTIVE
Investigate the relationship between alcohol consumption and physical activity because understanding whether there are common determinants of health behaviors is critical in designing programs to change risky activities.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analysis.


METHODS
United States.


METHODS
A sample of adults representative of the U.S. population (N = 230,856) from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.


METHODS
Several measures of drinking and exercise were analyzed. Specifications included numerous health, health behavior, socioeconomic, and demographic control variables.


RESULTS
For women, current drinkers exercise 7.2 more minutes per week than abstainers. Ten extra drinks per month are associated with 2.2 extra minutes per week of physical activity. When compared with current abstainers, light, moderate, and heavy drinkers exercise 5.7, 10.1, and 19.9 more minutes per week. Drinking is associated with a 10.1 percentage point increase in the probability of exercising vigorously. Ten extra drinks per month are associated with a 2.0 percentage point increase in the probability of engaging in vigorous physical activity. Light, moderate, and heavy drinking are associated with 9.0, 14.3, and 13.7 percentage point increases in the probability of exercising vigorously. The estimation results for men are similar to those for women.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results strongly suggest that alcohol consumption and physical activity are positively correlated. The association persists at heavy drinking levels.
French
Michael T
MT
Department of Sociology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida 33124-2030, USA. mfrench@miami.edu
Popovici
Ioana
I
Maclean
Johanna Catherine
JC
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D014481:United States