"We were expecting that this relationship was going to be stronger among females. That has been well-documented, especially because (nicotine) can suppress your appetite," Molina said in a statement.
However, dieting did not affect boys in the same way; the authors said adding that the difference between genders is still not clear. "We found that those who were inactive dieters, those who first started dieting and then stopped were more likely to engage in smoking behaviors," the authors said.
The researchers used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a school-based study of health-related behaviors among girls and boys in grades 7 through to 12 in the United States.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the percentage of teenage smokers has dropped since the survey was performed. In 1995, about 35 percent of high school students smoked regularly, while currently about 23 percent of high school students and 8 percent of middle school students reportedly smoke.
"On the other hand, the practices of dieting are going up in both females and males. We don't know if we did this study right now if that relationship between smoking and dieting is going to be stronger (among females) or different among males," Molina said.
However, the percentage of girls who smoke is slightly higher in both age groups.
The researchers also cautioned that parents shouldn't suspect their child unnecessarily if he starts a diet. Some dieting practices, such as eating balanced meals, can be a part of a healthy lifestyle.
"I think (parents should) be vigilant and talk about it. It's looking for those changes in behavior," she said.
The study is published in the American Journal of Health Promotion.
