Study links time spent sitting with increased risk of mortality

A new study found that employees who spend too much time in their seats might not only be adding to their bodily aches and pains they may also be placing their lives in danger.

Researchers from the American Cancer Society found that it's not just how much physical activity a person gets but how much time he spends sitting that can affect his risk of death. The study found that time spent sitting was independently associated with total mortality, regardless of physical activity level. Researchers concluded that employers should not only promote physical fitness but also reduce the time spent sitting.

The study found that more time spent sitting was associated with higher risk of mortality, particularly in women. Women who reported sitting more than six hours per day were 37 percent more likely to die during the time period studied than those who sat fewer than three hours a day. Men who sat more than six hours a day were 18 percent more likely to die than those who sat fewer than three hours per day. The association remained virtually unchanged after adjusting for physical activity level.

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When combined with a lack of physical activity, the association was even stronger. Women and men who both sat more and were less physically were 94 percent and 48 percent more likely, respectively, to die compared with those who reported sitting the least and being most active.

Read more at the WorkersComp Forum homepage.

October 4, 2010

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