Negative affect as a mediator of the relationship between vigorous-intensity exercise and smoking.
The present cross-sectional study evaluated whether people who engage in vigorous-intensity exercise are better able to regulate negative affective states, thereby changing core maintenance factors of smoking. Participants were a community sample of adults (n = 270) who completed self-report measures of physical activity, cigarette smoking, anxiety sensitivity, and negative affect. Consistent with hypothesis, vigorous-intensity exercise was related to lower levels of cigarette smoking, accounting for 10% of the variance in smoking. Additionally, negative affect mediated the relationship between vigorous-intensity physical activity and cigarette smoking, accounting for about 12% of this relation. Furthermore, these relationships were stronger for individuals with high anxiety sensitivity than for those with low anxiety sensitivity; including anxiety sensitivity as a moderator of the mediated relationship increased the amount of variance accounted for by negative affect to 17%. The findings are discussed in relation to developing further scientific insight into the mechanisms and pathways relevant to understanding the association among vigorous-intensity exercise, smoking, and emotional vulnerability.
Tart
Candyce D
CD
Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX 75275-0442, USA.
Leyro
Teresa M
TM
Richter
Ashley
A
Zvolensky
Michael J
MJ
Rosenfield
David
D
Smits
Jasper A J
JA
D000339:Affect; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014707:Vermont / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult