Associations between cigarette smoking status and health-related physical fitness performance in male Taiwanese adults

Chien-Chang Ho; Po-Fu Lee; Shu Xu; Chang-Tsen Hung; Yan-Jhu Su; Chi-Fang Lin; Min-Chen Wu; Yun-Tsung Chen

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.880572

Associations between cigarette smoking status and health-related physical fitness performance in male Taiwanese adults

Front Public Health. 2022 Aug 18:10:880572. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.880572. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Chien-Chang Ho^{1

2

3}, Po-Fu Lee⁴, Shu Xu⁵, Chang-Tsen Hung⁶, Yan-Jhu Su⁵, Chi-Fang Lin⁷, Min-Chen Wu⁸, Yun-Tsung Chen⁷

Affiliations

¹ Department of Physical Education, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
² Research and Development Center for Physical Education, Health, and Information Technology, College of Education, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
³ Sports Medicine Center, Fu Jen Catholic Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Leisure Industry and Health Promotion, National Ilan University, Yilan County, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Gerontology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, United States.
⁶ Department of Health and Leisure Management, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu, Taiwan.
⁷ Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei City, Taiwan.
⁸ Office of Physical Education, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Abstract

Background: The highest proportion of smoking behavior occurs in male adults in Taiwan. However, to our knowledge, no study has investigated the relationship between smoking behavior and health-related physical fitness according to education level, health status, betel nut-chewing status and obesity in male adults aged 18 years or older in Taiwan.

Aims: This study aimed to determine the associations between cigarette smoking and health-related physical fitness performance in male Taiwanese adults.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted on 27,908 male adults (aged 23-64 years) who participated in Taiwan's National Physical Fitness Survey 2014-2015. Data from a standardized structured questionnaire, anthropometric variables, and health-related physical fitness measurements were analyzed. Individuals were categorized as never smoking cigarettes, former smoker, and current smoker. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the association between cigarette smoking and health-related physical fitness performance.

Results: Never smoking group exhibited a lower (p < 0.05) proportion of abdominal obesity, higher (p < 0.05) proportion of perceived good health status, and greater (p < 0.05) performance in 1-min sit-up and sit-and-reach tests when compared with current smoking and former smoking group. Former smoking group had the highest (p < 0.05) performance in 3-min step test among all groups. Current smoker was significantly negatively (p < 0.05) associated with 3-min step, 1-min sit-up and sit-and-reach tests. Notably, former smoker was significantly positively (p < 0.05) associated with 3-min step and 1-min sit-up tests, but still negatively (p < 0.05) associated with sit-and-reach performance.

Conclusion: Current smoker was associated with an increased the risk of abdominal obesity, reduced the perceived health status and health-related physical fitness performance. Quitting smoking had beneficial effect on the perceived good health status, cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness in male Taiwanese adults, but not on flexibility performance. Further research on the ameliorate mechanism underlying this phenomenon is warranted.

Keywords: Taiwan; adults; cigarette smoking; cross-sectional study; physical fitness.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Cigarette Smoking* / epidemiology
Cross-Sectional Studies
Exercise
Humans
Male
Nicotiana
Obesity
Obesity, Abdominal
Physical Fitness