A Systematic Review of Physical Activity Correlates in Alcohol Use Disorders

Abstract

Background: Physical activity might promote mental and physical health in persons with alcohol use disorder. Understanding the barriers and facilitators of participation in physical activity in persons with alcohol use disorder is an essential first step in order to devise effective physical activity interventions.Objective: The present review provides a systematic quantitative review of the correlates of physical activity in people with alcohol use disorder.Methods: Major electronic databases were searched by two independent authors from inception till June 2014. Keywords included 'physical activity' or 'exercise' and 'alcohol dependence' or 'alcohol abuse' or 'alcohol use disorders' or 'alcoholism'.Results: Five papers evaluating 14 correlates were included. Three studies reported that alcohol dependence was unrelated to physical activity behavior, while alcohol abuse showed positive associations in 2 studies. No demographic variable was related with physical activity participation. Functional impairments and distress associated with alcohol use disorders including increased smoking rates, obesity, anxiety, depression and a lower self-efficacy may limit one's ability to be physically active. Data on social, environmental and policy related factors are currently lacking. No included study assessed physical activity levels utilizing objective measurements (e.g. pedometers, accelerometers). Conclusion:Although the literature on physical activity correlates in persons with alcohol use disorder still is equivocal, our varied findings support the hypothesis that the participation in physical activity by people with alcohol use disorder is determined by a range of complex factors.

Physical activity correlates in people with anxiety: Data from 46 low- and middle-income countries

“…Given these important health benefits of physical activity, there is a need for research to investigate what factors influence physical activity participation in people with symptoms of anxiety or anxiety disorders. In contrast with studies in people with schizophrenia (11), bipolar disorder (12), depression (13), alcohol use disorders (14), and dementia (15), there are much less data on correlates of physical activity participation in people with anxiety. A recent review of physical activity correlates involving 1,368 people with post-traumatic stress disorder (16) showed that the only correlate consistently associated with lower physical activity participation was the presence of hyperarousal.…”

Patient Reported Outcomes

“…Dies entspricht in etwa der Empfehlungsklasse C, welche beinhaltet, dass Berichte, Meinungen und / oder klinische Erfahrungen, kleinere Studien oder Fallbeispiele vorliegen, nicht jedoch klinische Studien mit guter Qualität (RCT-Studien im Goldstandard). Zschucke et al [7], Hallgren et al [8] sowie Vancampfort et al [9] kommen in ihren Reviews bzw. Meta-Analyse zu ähnlichen Einschätzungen und Bewertungen, wenngleich die einbezogenen Studien zum Teil auch nichtklinisch behandelte Gruppen mit beinhalten.…”

Association of Physical Activity with Alcohol Abuse and Dependence in a Nationally-Representative U.S. Sample

“…Studies have not accounted for neighborhood-level confounders such as neighborhood safety, availability of open spaces for exercise, and severity of drug problems in the neighborhood. Systematic reviews of the association between physical activity and alcohol use problems have acknowledged that inclusion of racial/ethnic minorities is a major gap in the literature (Kwan et al, 2014; Vancampfort et al, 2015). Moreover, the heterogeneity within racial/ethnic minority populations remains largely unexplored.…”