The Association between Type and Intensity of Sport and Tobacco or Nicotine Use—A Cross-Sectional Study among Young Swiss Men

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the association between tobacco/nicotine use and type and intensity of sport. Data were drawn from the second follow-up of the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors. Young Swiss men completed a questionnaire about tobacco/nicotine use (cigarette, vaping, snus, snuff), type and intensity of sport and other demographic and medical variables. Among the 5414 included participants (mean age 25.5), 3434 (63.4%) reported regularly practicing a sport. They had a lower rate of cigarette smoking (32.3%) compared with participants not practicing a sport (44.6%) but a higher rate of snus use (15.0% vs. 10.0%). In adjusted models, individual-sport participants were less likely to use snus and snuff (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.51–0.77 and OR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.61–0.88), compared with team-sport participants. The association was inversed for vaping users (OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.03–2.30). Furthermore, participants who practiced high-intensity sports had a lower likelihood to smoke cigarettes (OR = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.52–0.78) compared with low-intensity sports. Our findings suggest that type and intensity of sport are associated with tobacco/nicotine use. Youth who practice an individual sport are less likely to use snus or snuff and more likely to vape compared with a team sport. This could help better target smoking prevention in young people