Prolonged occupational sitting tied to greater risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality

An original investigation on public health published in JAMA Network Open has concluded that "To mitigate all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease risk, increase physical activity or reduce prolonged sitting at work."

The 2020 WHO guidelines recommended reducing sedentary behaviors due to their health impacts. The association of prolonged occupational sitting with health is less understood, especially when physical activity is low. This study aimed to quantify this association. The study

participants were in a health surveillance program in Taiwan. Data was collected on occupational sitting, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) habits, lifestyle, and metabolic parameters.

The study analyzed the all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality rates associated with different levels of occupational sitting and calculated the hazard ratio using Cox regression models.

Key findings from the study are:

• The study had 481 688 participants with a mean age of 39.3 years, including 53 % women.
• The study recorded 26,257 deaths during a mean follow-up period of 12.85 years.
• After adjustments, those mostly sitting at work had a 16% higher all-cause mortality risk and a 34% increased mortality risk from CVD compared to nonsitting individuals.
• Those with alternating sitting and non-sitting at work did not experience an increased risk of all-cause mortality compared with individuals mostly non-sitting at work.
• For those who mostly sit at work and engage in low (15-29 minutes per day) or no (<15 minutes daily) leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), an increase in LTPA by 15 and 30 minutes daily reduced mortality.
  
• Those with a PAI (personal activity intelligence) score exceeding 100 experienced a notable reduction in the elevated mortality risk associated with prolonged occupational sitting.
  

Despite its known negative impact on health, prolonged occupational sitting has become a norm in modern lifestyles. This study highlights the importance of incorporating breaks from sitting and engaging in additional physical activity for at least 15 to 30 minutes per day to counteract the harmful effects of prolonged sitting.

Reference:

Gao W et al. Occupational Sitting Time, Leisure Physical Activity, and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(1):e2350680.