Physical activity level, tobacco and alcohol habitual consumption, and its relationship with quality of life in Spanish adolescents

Habitual tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents, as well as sedentary lifestyle, are a public health problem and a pediatric epidemic. Quality of life is an indicator of overall self-perceived health status. The objective was to analyze the relationship between physical activity, tobacco consumption, alcohol and quality of life using an observational methodology, randomly selecting 1037 Spanish adolescents aged 14-17 years old (15.52 +/- 1.11 years old). Instruments used were the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (physical activity), the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (tobacco), the Questionnaire on alcohol consumption habits in adolescents (alcohol), and the Health Questionnaire SF-36 (quality of life). Bi-variant relationships were explored using contingency tables, followed by binary logistic regression analysis. Results suggest that physical activity (p < .001) is the variable that best predicts quality of life perceived by boys, tobacco use being also relevant (p < .05). In girls, both tobacco consumption (p < .001) and alcohol consumption (p < .001) are shown as the variables that best predict their perceived quality of life, but the association between physical activity and quality of life is less relevant (p < .05). The promotion of health-related quality of life depends on the creation of comprehensive educational environments where physical activity is part of a healthy lifestyle.