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As time spent sitting increases, so does risk for anxiety

Analysis of nine cross-sectional, longitudinal studies revealed a positive association between sedentary time and risk for anxiety.

“Time spent in sedentary behavior has emerged as a potentially important indicator of health in adult populations, independent of achieving sufficient physical activity. Among the general adult population some evidence suggests sedentary behavior is associated with increased risk of developing various chronic disease (eg, overweight and obesity, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes and various cancers),” study researcher Megan Teychenne, PhD, of Deakin University in Burwood, Victoria, Australia, and colleagues wrote in BMC Public Health. “However, reviews of prospective studies suggest that there is yet insufficient or no evidence to conclude relationships between sedentary behavior and certain health outcomes (eg, adulthood weight gain, cardiovascular risk and some cancers.”

A systematic search identified seven cross-sectional and two longitudinal observational studies on the relationship between sedentary behavior and risk for anxiety. Researchers assessed the study findings to further investigate how time spent sedentary affects risk for anxiety.

Overall, there was moderate evidence that total sedentary behavior and sitting time were positively associated with anxiety risk.

There was inconsistent evidence that screen time, television viewing and computer use were related to anxiety risk.

“Although only limited evidence is currently available on the association between sedentary behavior and risk of anxiety, on the balance this evidence suggests a positive association may exist between overall sedentary behavior (eg, sitting time specifically) and anxiety risk, whilst inconsistent evidence remains for other types of sedentary behaviors (eg, computer use, television viewing, screen time), and their link with anxiety risk. This review further highlights the need for more high-quality longitudinal and intervention research to confirm and disentangle cross-sectional research findings.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.