Cannabis use is not associated with altered levels of physical activity: evidence from the repeated cross-sectional Belgian Health Interview Survey
Abstract Background Several studies have suggested a positive effect of occasional cannabis consumption on the frequency of leisure-time physical activity, possibly due to more motivation before, more enjoyment during, and better recovery after engaging in leisure-time physical exercise. While such...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Journal of Cannabis Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s42238-025-00278-8 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | Abstract Background Several studies have suggested a positive effect of occasional cannabis consumption on the frequency of leisure-time physical activity, possibly due to more motivation before, more enjoyment during, and better recovery after engaging in leisure-time physical exercise. While such an effect would contradict the stereotypical image of lower physical activity levels in cannabis users as compared to non-users, evidence has been mixed at best. The current study investigated this proposed association in a representative sample of the Belgian population. Methods Data from four waves of the Belgian Health Interview Survey (HIS; repeated cross-sectional survey; 2001 – 2018) were used in a regression and propensity matching analysis to examine the association between past-month cannabis use and physical activity levels, while controlling for potentially confounding variables. A total of n = 19,936 individuals (48.9% female) aged 15–64 years were included in the analysis. We modelled physical activity in function of past-month cannabis use while adjusting for potential confounders. Results Both the regression analysis and the propensity-matching analysis revealed no evidence in favor of a positive effect of past-month cannabis use on physical activity level (estimated OR = 0.97, 95% CI = [0.74, 1.28] and estimated RR = 0.90, 95% CI = [0.70; 1.16] respectively). Descriptive analyses of baseline characteristics suggested some clear differences between users and non-users that were in line with previous studies. Conclusions There was no evidence suggesting that past-month cannabis users have better or worse physical activity levels compared to non-users in the Belgian population aged 15–64 years. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2522-5782 |