Abstract
Objectives
To investigate longitudinal associations of smoking and a change in smoking status with leisure-time physical inactivity. In addition, to control whether familial confounding (genetics and shared environment) influences the associations.
Methods
Data were based on the population-based Finnish Adult Twin Cohort of 5254 twin individuals born in 1945–1957 (41% men) and who participated in all four surveys over a 35-year follow-up (1975–2011). Logistic and conditional logistic regression models with multiple covariates were used for analyses.
Results
Compared to never-smokers, long-term daily smokers (1975–1990) had the highest likelihood for both long-term inactivity and to change into inactive by 2011. Recurrent smoking was associated with long-term inactivity. Instead, in comparison to persistent daily smokers, quitting smoking decreased the likelihood of becoming physically inactive at leisure time. The associations remained in the analyses which accounted for multiple covariates and/or familial confounding.
Conclusions
Daily smoking increases the likelihood of remaining or becoming physically inactive over the decades. Our results emphasize not only the importance of preventing smoking initiation, but also to support early smoking cessation in promotion of lifelong physical activity.
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LTPA leisure-time physical activity, MET metabolic equivalent, A active (>1.5 MET h/day), I inactive (≤1.5 MET h/day), II inactive in 1975 and 1981, AA active in 1975 and 1981, AI active in 1975, inactive in 1981, IA inactive in 1975, active in 1981, IIII inactive in all four time points (1975, 1981, 1990 and 2011), AIII active in 1975, inactive in 1981, 1990 and 2011, AAII active in 1975 and 1981, inactive in 1990 and 2011, AAAI active in 1975, 1981 and 1990, inactive in 2011, IIAI inactive in 1975 and 1981, active in 1990, inactive in 2011, IAII inactive in 1975, active in 1981, inactive in 1990 and 2011, AAAA active in all four time points (1975, 1981, 1990 and 2011), IAAA inactive in 1975, active in 1981, 1990 and 2011, IIAA inactive in 1975 and 1981, active in 1990 and 2011, IIIA inactive in 1975, 1981 and 1990, active in 2011, AAIA active in 1975 and 1981, inactive in 1990, active in 2011, AIAA active in 1975, inactive in 1981, active in 1991 and 2011
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All authors meet the ICMJE authorship requirements as follows: (1) substantial contributions to conception and design (MP, JK, KS, PS, TK, AR) OR the acquisition of data (JK), AND the analysis and interpretation of data (all authors: MP, JK, KS, PS, TK, AR); AND (2) the drafting of the article or its critical revision for important intellectual content (all authors: MP, JK, KS, PS, TK, AR); AND (3) final approval of the version to be published (all authors: MP, JK, KS, PS, TK, AR). All authors (MP, JK, KS, PS, TK, AR) also agreed be accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study protocol was approved by the Ethical Committee of the University of Helsinki, Department of Public Health. This present analysis did not involve any contact with the study participants and only used existing epidemiological data.
Funding
This work was supported by the Academy of Finland Centre of Excellence in Complex Disease Genetics (Grants 213506 and 129680 to JK), the Academy of Finland (Grants 265240 and 263278 to JK) for data collection, and the Ministry for Education and Culture of Finland (to AR) for analyzing and reporting the results. KS was supported by the Academy of Finland (Grant 266592).
Conflict of interest
JK reports personal fees from Pfizer unrelated to the submitted work. TK reports personal fees from Pfizer for consulting on nicotine dependence but unrelated to the submitted work. None of the other authors have anything to declare.
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Piirtola, M., Kaprio, J., Silventoinen, K. et al. Association between long-term smoking and leisure-time physical inactivity: a cohort study among Finnish twins with a 35-year follow-up. Int J Public Health 62, 819–829 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-017-0975-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-017-0975-4