Exercise facilitates smoking cessation indirectly via improvements in smoking-specific self-efficacy: Prospective cohort study among a national sample of young smokers

• Published in: Preventive medicine 2015-12, Vol.81, p.63-66
• Main Authors: Loprinzi, Paul D, Wolfe, Christy D, Walker, Jerome F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Confidence; Exercise - physiology; Exercise - psychology; Female; Humans; Internal Medicine; Male; Nicotine dependence; Physical activity; Prospective Studies; Self Efficacy; Smoking - psychology; Smoking Cessation - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tobacco Use Disorder - psychology; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0091-7435; 1096-0260
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2015.08.011

Abstract Objective The purpose of this study was to examine whether exercise is associated with 2-year follow-up smoking status through its influence on smoking-specific self-efficacy. Methods Longitudinal data from the 2003–2005 National Youth Smoking Cessation Survey were used, including 1,228 participants (16–24 years). A questionnaire was used to examine baseline exercise levels, baseline smoking-specific self-efficacy, follow-up smoking status, and the covariates. Results Baseline exercise was associated with baseline self-efficacy ( β = 0.04, p < 0.001) after adjusting for age category, sex, race–ethnicity, education, and nicotine dependence. Baseline self-efficacy, in turn, was associated with 2-year smoking status ( β = 0.23, p < 0.001) after adjustments. There was no adjusted direct effect of baseline exercise on 2-year smoking status ( β = 0.001, p = 0.95); however, the adjusted indirect effect of baseline self-efficacy on the relationship between exercise and 2-year smoking status was significant ( β = 0.008, bootstrapped lower and upper CI: 0.002–0.02; p < 0.05). The mediation ratio was 0.837, which indicates that smoking-specific self-efficacy mediates 84% of the total effect of exercise on smoking status. Conclusions Among daily smokers, exercise may help to facilitate smoking cessation via exercise-induced increases in smoking-specific self-efficacy.