Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Physical Activity on the Quality of Life among Tobacco Consumers

Introduction: Exercise and physical activity are among the factors that have a positive effect on people's quality of life. On the other hand, smoking is one of the health threatening factors that can affect people's quality of life. Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of physical activity in tobacco consumers' quality of life. Material and Methods: The study was conducted based on a descriptive causal-comparative design. The statistical population of the present study consisted of male tobacco consumers in Shiraz, among whom, 350 cases were selected via available sampling method as a statistical sample. Based on the amount of physical activity per week, they were assigned to two groups: physically active (n=170) and physically inactive (n=180). The Quality of Life Questionnaire (SF12) was used to assess sleep quality. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 16) using U-Whitney test. Results: The results pointed to a significant difference between active and inactive subjects in the overall score of quality of life (P= 0.01), vitality and energy (P=0.01), general perception of life (P=0.001), physical health (0.001), and physical function (P=0.008). The active participants had a better situation than inactive people; nonetheless, there was no significant difference in other scales. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrated that physical activity and exercise improve the quality of life in tobacco consumers. As evidenced by the obtained results, in order to improve the quality of life among tobacco consumers, sports activities can be included as a part of their daily activities.