title: The influence of physical activity on cigarette smoking among adolescents: evidence from Add Health.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This article explored the relationship between physical activity and smoking behavior among adolescents using rich longitudinal survey data from a nationally representative sample of adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Several endogeneity-corrected models were estimated to ascertain the effect of exercise on both the probability of being a smoker and the intensity of cigarette smoking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis indicated that 1 additional weekly occurrence of exercise led to a 0.3% decline in the probability of being a smoker and led to a 4.1% reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked by a smoker during a month, a result that was robust to stratification by gender and race/ethnicity. Consistent with the national guidelines, frequencies of physical activity of at least 7 times per week appeared to exhibit the biggest benefits in terms of reduction in smoking for both genders and across races/ethnicities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reduction in health-damaging smoking behavior among adolescents could be an additional benefit of being physically active. This research documented a new pathway by which even moderate increases in physical activity could result in improved health outcomes by reducing smoking.
authors.affiliation: Analysis and Services Research Branch, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockville, MD;
authors.forename: Mir M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH;
authors.forename: Aliaksandr
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amialchuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, Campbell School of Business, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA lheller@berry.edu.
authors.forename: Lauren R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Heller
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D005006:Ethnicity; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology