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标题：Characteristics of Physically Active Smokers and Implications for Harm Reduction
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作者：Wayne K. deRuiter ; Guy Faulkner ; John Cairney 等
期刊名称：American journal of public health
印刷版ISSN：0090-0036
出版年度：2008
卷号：98
期号：5
页码：925-931
DOI：10.2105/AJPH.2007.120469
语种：English
出版社：American Public Health Association
摘要：Objectives. We sought to establish the prevalence of physical activity among smokers, whether or not physically active smokers were more likely to attempt cessation, and who these physically active smokers were. Methods. We used logistic regression to contrast physically active and inactive smokers in a secondary data analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 1.1. Results. Physically active smokers represented almost one quarter of the smoking population. Compared with physically inactive smokers, physically active smokers were more likely to have attempted cessation in the past year. Physically active smokers were more likely to be young, single, and men compared with their inactive counterparts. Income had no influence in distinguishing physically active and inactive smokers. Conclusions. Skepticism persists regarding the practicality and potential risks of promoting physical activity as a harm-reduction strategy for tobacco use. We found that a modest proportion of the daily smoking population was physically active and that engagement in this behavior was related to greater cessation attempts. Interventions could be developed that target smokers who are likely to adopt physical activity. Recent evidence has suggested that physical activity could act as a potential tobacco harm-reduction strategy for smokers. 1 Although we have shown in previous work that physical activity fulfills several criteria that guide the development of potential tobacco harm-reduction strategies, skepticism remains regarding its practicality. 1 The majority of the North American population does not fulfill the current public health recommendations for physical activity. 2 ^, 3 Because smokers have a tendency to participate in less physical activity compared with nonsmokers, 4 ^– 6 it is unclear how practical it would be to promote physical activity as a harm-reduction strategy. An additional concern associated with the adoption of physical activity as a potential harm-reduction strategy is the possibility that physical activity may unintentionally result in a delay in cessation. If smokers perceive physical activity as an effective strategy for reducing smoking-related morbidity and mortality, cessation attempts could be deferred or neglected. 7 This would undermine the long-term goal of harm reduction: complete smoking cessation. 8 To maximize the effectiveness of physical activity as a tobacco harm-reduction strategy, physical activity must be promoted and advocated to those smokers most likely to adopt and maintain it. If smokers have no interest in becoming physically active, any effort to promote physical activity would be ineffective. The success of public health interventions that promote physical activity among smokers will be dependent upon the ability of health professionals to identify and target those smokers likely to participate in physical activity on a regular basis. If physical activity is to be regarded as an effective tobacco harm-reduction strategy, these concerns need to be addressed. Therefore, we sought to answer 3 specific questions: (1) What is the prevalence of physically active smokers within the smoking and general population? (2) Are physically active smokers more likely to attempt smoking cessation? (3) Which demographic characteristics differentiate physically active smokers from physically inactive smokers? Some answers to these questions were provided by Ward et al., 9 who examined characteristics of highly physically active and less physically active smokers in a sample of military recruits. They concluded that highly physically active smokers were more likely to be young men who earned higher family incomes, consumed more fruits and vegetables, were less dependent on nicotine, and were more likely to achieve cessation for a minimum of 24 hours compared with less physically active smokers. However, several limitations were identified in the study conducted by Ward et al. that may have influenced the results. Reliance on a sample of military recruits may have limited the generalizability of the results. 9 Also, the assessment of physical activity levels by a single question may not have been as accurate as measuring frequency, duration, and intensity of specific physical activities. Thus, misclassification of physical activity levels may have occurred. 9 We addressed these limitations by comparing physically active and inactive smokers with a more detailed measure of physical activity and a nationally representative sample of Canadians to provide further insight into the role of physical activity as a tobacco harm-reduction strategy.