Unraveling the Relationship Between Physical Activity and Unhealthy Alcohol Use in the General Population: A...

Numerous studies documented an unexpected association between physical activity (PA) and alcohol use, suggesting that higher rates of PA may be linked to increased alcohol use. Evidence is lacking on factors explaining this relation. This study investigated cross-sectional associations between time devoted to different domains of PA and unhealthy alcohol use and tested whether these associations differed by age and sex.

Data were drawn from the 2017 Swiss Health Survey. Participants (N = 17 328) are representative of the Swiss population and provided information on 3 PA-domains (hours/day of sport/exercise, leisure, and commuting) and unhealthy alcohol use (chronic risky drinking [≥20 g mean daily ethanol for women; ≥40 g for men], heavy episodic drinking [≥1 occasion/month with ≥40 g for women/≥50 g for men]). Logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between hours/day spent on the 3 PA-domains and unhealthy alcohol use and to test interactions between PA-domains and sex and age separately. All models were adjusted for tobacco use, body mass index, and demographics.

Hours/day of leisure PA was positively associated with chronic risky drinking (OR = 1.06, P = .030). Hours/day of sport/exercise PA was positively associated with heavy episodic drinking (OR = 1.12, P = .007). No significant association was found for commuting PA. There was a significant interaction between sport/exercise PA and age on heavy episodic drinking (P < .001). Age-stratified analyses revealed positive associations for participants aged 18 to <25 (OR = 1.44, P < .001), 25 to <35 (OR = 1.23, P = .019), and ≥75 (OR = 1.74, P = .003), negative for participants aged 35 to <45 (OR = 0.73, P = .019), and nonsignificant associations for participants aged 45 to <55 (OR = 0.96, P = .720), 55 to <65 (OR = 0.99, P = .909), and 65 to <75 (OR = 1.05, P = .713).

Our results highlight the importance to account for PA-domains and alcohol use patterns when studying the PA-alcohol relationship. Associations between sport/exercise and heavy episodic drinking differed by age, possibly reflecting the socio-environmental context's impact across the lifespan. Findings may have implications for alcohol screening and interventions among physically active people.