Does physical exercise inhibit smoking behavior? Evidence from the China General Social Survey

Physical exercise is associated with reduced smoking, and the mechanisms of mental health and social support help explain this association. These findings deepened understanding of how exercise relates to smoking behavior and provided practical implications for public health policy and tobacco-control interventions in China. The study also extended research on the social and psychological effects of exercise and offered a theoretical basis for future work. However, because the analysis is cross-sectional and relies on self-reported measures from a single country and a single-year dataset, the findings are correlational and context-specific.