The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Alcohol Use Among Adults in the United States: A Systematic Review of the Literature

Objective: To synthesize published literature that has tested the relationship between physical activity and alcohol use. Data Source: A systematic review of literature published between January 2005 and May 2015 was conducted by searching the databases: PsychInfo, Medline, and Pubmed. Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: Inclusion criteria: must have tested for the relationship between physical activity and alcohol use; used adult samples within the United States. Exclusion criteria: utilized samples from outside the United States, adolescents, or alcohol dependent and heavy drinkers. Data Extraction: Data were extracted from studies that achieved a quality score of 4 or greater. The following information was recorded for each study: sample characteristics, the variable that served as the predictor, study design, covariates included in analyses, and the direction/nature of the relationship. Data Synthesis: The search captured 1036 unique articles, 16 of which were included in the final systematic review. Results: Nearly 88% of the studies with college students and 75% of studies with nonstudent adults reported a positive relationship between physical activity and alcohol use. Conclusion: Research published in the past decade implies a positive relationship between physical activity and alcohol use. Findings have important implications for the design of health promotion programs targeting physical activity and alcohol use.