Body image emotions, perceptions, and cognitions distinguish physically active and inactive smokers

To determine if body image emotions (body-related shame and guilt, weight-related stress), perceptions (self-perceived overweight), or cognitions (trying to change weight) differ between adolescents characterized by smoking and physical activity (PA) behavior.

Data for this cross-sectional analysis were collected in 2010-11 and were available for 1017 participants (mean (SD) age = 16.8 (0.5) years). Participants were categorized according to smoking and PA status into four groups: inactive smokers, inactive non-smokers, active smokers and active non-smokers. Associations between body image emotions, perceptions and cognitions, and group membership were estimated in multinomial logistic regression.

Participants who reported body-related shame were less likely (OR (95% CI) = 0.52 (0.29-0.94)) to be in the active smoker group than the inactive smoker group; those who reported body-related guilt and those trying to gain weight were more likely (2.14 (1.32-3.48) and 2.49 (1.22-5.08), respectively) to be in the active smoker group than the inactive smoker group; those who were stressed about weight and those perceiving themselves as overweight were less likely to be in the active non-smoker group than the inactive smoker group (0.79 (0.64-0.97) and 0.41 (0.19-0.89), respectively).

Body image emotions and cognitions differentiated the active smoker group from the other three groups.