Table 2. Correlations between smoking, other health-related behaviours and physical activity.

Author Year Country Study design Material Methods Results Association Kelder et al. 1994 USAMinnesota heart health programme 7-year follow-up N=2376Baseline 6th grade Self-reported smoking and food choices (Questionnaire). Smoking:  As students began to experiment with smoking, they were more likely to either begin or remain regular smokers.Food choices: Students with high PA at baseline remained high and with low PA at baseline remained low. Smoke + Diet + Raitakari et al. 1994 FinlandCardiovascular risks of young Finns-cohort 6-year follow-up N=900Baseline 12,15,18 year-olds Self-reported physical activity. (Questionnaire)Sum index from frequency + intensity + duration. Physical activity was related to less smoking in both sexes and among young men to lower saturated fatty acid ratio in the diet. Smoke + Diet + Yang  et al. 1999 FinlandCardiovascular risks of young Finns-cohort 12-year follow-up N=2411Baseline 9,12,15,18-year -olds Questionnaire. Non-smoking men and women had higher levels of physical activity than smokers. Smoke + Escobedo et al. 1993 Portugal Cross sectional N=11248 high school students, grades 9-12 Questionnaire. Students who had participated in interscholastic sports were less likely to be regular and heavy smokers. Smoke + Donato et al. 1997 Italy Cross sectional N=1462, grades 9-13 Questionnaire. Smoking was negatively associated with regular sports activity among 12th-13th grade students. Smoke + Pate et al. 1996 USAYouth Risk Survey Cross sectional N=11 631 US high school students aged 12-18 Questionnaire. Low activity was associated with smoking, and with alcohol in some ethnic groups. Alcohol + Smoke + De Bourdeaudhuij and van Oost 1999 Belgium 1-year follow-up N=2400, aged16-25 Questionnaire. Alcohol and smoking were associated with PA in 16-25-year-olds. Smoke + Alcohol + Terre et al. 1990 USA Cross sectional N=1092,grades 6-12 Questionnaire. Alcohol use clustered with dislike for leisure time PA in grades 7-8. Alcohol + Lee et al. 2002 USA Cross sectional N=8165students, aged 12-21 Questionnaire. Low socio-economic status was associated with low physical activity. SES + Blank et  al. 1993 USA Cross sectional N=1 198 students, average age 20.7 Questionnaire. 80.1% of regular exercisers currently used alcohol. Alcohol + Daley and Ryan 2000 UK Cross sectional N=232,aged 8-11 Questionnaire. No association was found between academic performance and physical activity.   (+ positive association, +/- weak association,- no association)