The Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Physical Fitness and Depression of Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the effect of cigarette smoking on physical fitness (dominant hand grip power, dominant isokinetic leg muscle strength, abdominal muscle endurance, flexibility, cardiopulmonary endurance) and depression in patients with chronic low back pain. Methods: This study was a cross sectional study and subjects consisted of 60 young males with chronic low back pain. The subjects were allocated to two groups following a self-report survey: cigarette smoking group (n=25) or non-smoking group (n=35). Physical fitness (dominant hand grip power, dominant isokinetic leg muscle strength, abdominal muscle endurance, flexibility, cardiopulmonary endurance) were measured using objective methods and depression in patients with chronic low back pain was measured using the Korean version of center for epidemiologic studies depression (CES-D) scale. Results: The results of this study were as follows: In physical fitness, the cigarette smoking group showed a significant decrease in abdominal muscle endurance, flexibility, and cardiopulmonary endurance compared with the non-smoking group. Depression index (CES-D scale score) was significantly higher in the cigarette smoking group than in the non-smoking group. Conclusion: These results suggest that cigarette smoking had a negative effect on abdominal muscle endurance, flexibility, and cardiopulmonary endurance in patients with chronic low back pain. In addition, depression of patients with chronic low back pain was affected by cigarette smoking. Thus, we suggested that cigarette smoking may play a significant role in the deterioration of physical fitness and depression of chronic low back pain patients.