title: Physical activity and nicotine dependence among a national sample of young U.S. adults who smoke daily: evaluation of cross-sectional and longitudinal associations to determine which behavior drives this relationship.
abstract: The association between nicotine dependence and physical activity (PA) is relatively unknown. No study has concurrently examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between PA and nicotine dependence, which was the primary purpose of this study. A secondary purpose was to examine how well nicotine dependence and PA behavior track over a two-year period. Data from the 2003-2005 National Youth Smoking Cessation Survey (NYSCS) were used, with young adults (18-24 yrs; n=1168) being followed over a two-year period. Physical activity was assessed using a questionnaire and nicotine dependence was assessed using the modified Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence scale. This study identified three notable findings: 1) baseline PA and nicotine dependence demonstrated a bidirectional, cross-sectional association (e.g., β=-0.23; 95% CI: -0.44 to -0.02; p=0.02); 2) when examined longitudinally, nicotine dependence influenced PA (OR=0.90; 95% CI: 0.82-0.99; p=0.04), but there was no evidence of the reverse pathway (i.e., PA influencing 2-year follow-up smoking status [OR=0.95; 95% CI: 0.66-1.39; p=0.82) or nicotine dependence (β=0.05; 95% CI: -0.14 to 0.24, p=0.61]); and 3) both PA (OR=3.52, 95% CI: 2.68-4.69; p<0.001) and nicotine dependence (β=0.52; 95% CI: 0.46-0.58, p<0.001) tracked relatively well over a two-year period during early adulthood. These findings suggest that both behaviors (physical activity and nicotine dependence) track over time, but nicotine dependence appears to be driving the cross-sectional relationship between nicotine dependence and physical activity, as opposed to the reverse pathway.
authors.affiliation: Center for Health Behavior Research, Department of Health, Exercise Science, & Recreation Management, School of Applied Sciences, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, United States. Electronic address: pdloprin@olemiss.edu.
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Loprinzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Therapy, Lansing School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY, United States 40205.
authors.forename: Christy J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kane
authors.affiliation: Department of Exercise Science, Lansing School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY, United States 40205.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahoney
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Therapy, Lansing School of Nursing and Health Sciences, Bellarmine University, Louisville, KY, United States 40205.
authors.forename: Jerome F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Nicotine dependence; Physical activity; Smoking