Physical exercise, sports, and lung function in smoking versus nonsmoking adolescents

Associations between adolescent smoking habits and exercise, particularly participation in sports and lung function were studied. All students aged 13–19 yrs in Nord-Trøndelag County, Norway, 1995–1997, were invited to join a cross-sectional study. Information on smoking habits and exercise was obtained by self-administered questionnaire. Spirometry was performed in accordance with American Thoracic Society standards. Of the 6,811 students (aged 13–18 yrs, without asthma), 2,993 (44%) reported never-smoking, and 1,342 (20%) reported current smoking (10% daily). Frequency of physical exercise was inversely associated with smoking, but participants in individual sports with lesser endurance, especially body-building and fighting sports, were more likely to be daily smokers than nonparticipants. Both daily (53%) and occasional smokers (43%) were more likely to have quit sports than never-smokers (26%). Never-smokers showed a positive dose-response between physical exercise and lung function (forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in one second, adjusted for age and height). No similar significant association was observed in daily smokers. These data suggest that smoking habits in different sports should be considered when promoting physical activity as smoking prevention, and sports organizations should include smoking prevention programmes. Adolescents with better lung function may self-select into sports; this possibility needs to be studied in a longitudinal design.

[1]  P. Biersteker,et al.  Vital capacity in trained and untrained healthy young adults in the Netherlands , 2004, European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology.

[2]  S. N. Gabhainn,et al.  Health behaviour in school-aged children , 2000 .

[3]  L. Vatten,et al.  Physical activity and stroke mortality in women. Ten-year follow-up of the Nord-Trondelag health survey, 1984-1986. , 2000, Stroke.

[4]  A. Evans,et al.  Physical activity, physical fitness and respiratory function — Exercise and respiratory function , 1999, Irish journal of medical science.

[5]  J. Viikari,et al.  Factors explaining the physical activity of young adults: the importance of early socialization , 1999, Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports.

[6]  Manley Mw,et al.  Tobacco, youth, and sports. , 1998 .

[7]  W. Mechelen,et al.  Tracking of lung function parameters and the longitudinal relationship with lifestyle. , 1998, The European respiratory journal.

[8]  N. Varma,et al.  Pulmonary functions in Indian sportsmen playing different sports. , 1998, Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology.

[9]  M. Manley,et al.  Tobacco, youth, and sports. , 1998, Adolescent medicine.

[10]  W. Nystad.  The physical activity level in children with asthma based on a survey among 7–16‐year‐old school children , 1997, Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports.

[11]  L. Dimitriou,et al.  Comparison of lung volume in Greek swimmers, land based athletes, and sedentary controls using allometric scaling. , 1997, British journal of sports medicine.

[12]  J. Kaprio,et al.  Associations of health-related behaviors, school type and health status to physical activity patterns in 16 year old boys and girls , 1997, Scandinavian journal of social medicine.

[13]  C. Jackson,et al.  Initial and experimental stages of tobacco and alcohol use during late childhood: relation to peer, parent, and personal risk factors. , 1997, Addictive behaviors.

[14]  A. Coates,et al.  Redefining end of test (EOT) criteria for pulmonary function testing in children. , 1997, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[15]  Janice G. Williams,et al.  Predictors of Cigarette Smoking among Adolescents , 1997, Psychological reports.

[16]  R H DuRant,et al.  Relationship between cigarette smoking and health risk and problem behaviors among US adolescents. , 1997, Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine.

[17]  G. Koch,et al.  Effect of intensive swimming training on lung volumes, airway resistances and on the maximal expiratory flow-volume relationship in prepubertal girls , 1997, European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology.

[18]  D. Dockery,et al.  Effects of cigarette smoking on lung function in adolescent boys and girls. , 1996, The New England journal of medicine.

[19]  Y. Harel,et al.  The health of youth. A cross-national survey. , 1996, WHO regional publications. European series.

[20]  R. Mckeown,et al.  Patterns of tobacco and alcohol use among sedentary, exercising, nonathletic, and athletic youth. , 1996, The Journal of school health.

[21]  A. Kriska,et al.  Physical activity and the initiation of high-risk health behaviors in adolescents. , 1995, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[22]  John L. Hankinson,et al.  Standardization of Spirometry, 1994 Update. American Thoracic Society. , 1995, American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine.

[23]  T. Kain,et al.  Changes in lung function during adolescence in athletes and non-athletes. , 1994, The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness.

[24]  D. Holtzman,et al.  Sports participation, age at smoking initiation, and the risk of smoking among US high school students. , 1993, JAMA.

[25]  K Rodahl,et al.  Physical fitness as a predictor of mortality among healthy, middle-aged Norwegian men. , 1993, The New England journal of medicine.

[26]  M. Jaakkola,et al.  Spirometric lung function. Distribution and determinants of test failure in a young adult population. , 1992, The American review of respiratory disease.

[27]  J. Hankinson,et al.  Acceptability and reproducibility criteria of the American Thoracic Society as observed in a sample of the general population. , 1991, The American review of respiratory disease.

[28]  A. De,et al.  Smoking and lung functions in sportsmen. , 1988, British journal of sports medicine.

[29]  Buist As.  Standardization of spirometry. , 1987 .

[30]  C. Gaultier,et al.  Maximal static pressures and lung volumes in young female swimmers: One year follow‐up , 1987, Pediatric pulmonology.

[31]  A. Buist.  Standardization of spirometry. , 1987, The American review of respiratory disease.

[32]  S. Schinke,et al.  Preventing tobacco use among young people. , 1986, Health & social work.

[33]  F. Speizer,et al.  Effect of cigarette smoking on the pulmonary function of children and adolescents. , 1985, The American review of respiratory disease.

[34]  V. Clark,et al.  Comparison of lung function in young nonsmokers and smokers before and after initiation of the smoking habit. A prospective study. , 2015, The American review of respiratory disease.

[35]  S. Carel,et al.  [Spirometric lung function]. , 1982, Harefuah.

[36]  B. Saltin,et al.  PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF LUNG VOLUMES IN YOUNG GIRL SWIMMERS , 1971, Acta paediatrica Scandinavica. Supplement.

[37]  S. D. Collins.  The Health of Youth , 1937 .