Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2015 Jun 19:15:513.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-015-1843-x.

The association between sedentary behaviour and risk of anxiety: a systematic review

Megan Teychenne  1 , Sarah A Costigan  2 , Kate Parker  3
Affiliations

The association between sedentary behaviour and risk of anxiety: a systematic review

Megan Teychenne et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Previous research has linked sedentary behaviour (SB) to adverse physical health outcomes in adults and youth. Although evidence for the relationship between SB and mental health outcomes (e.g., depression) is emerging, little is known regarding risk of anxiety.

Methods: A systematic search for original research investigating the association between SB and risk of anxiety was performed using numerous electronic databases. A total of nine observational studies (seven cross-sectional and two longitudinal) were identified. Methodological quality of studies was assessed and a best-evidence synthesis was conducted.

Results: One cross-sectional study demonstrated a strong methodological quality, five cross-sectional studies demonstrated a moderate methodological quality and three studies (two cross-sectional one longitudinal) received a weak methodological quality rating. Overall, there was moderate evidence for a positive relationship between total SB and anxiety risk as well as for a positive relationship between sitting time and anxiety risk. There was inconsistent evidence for the relationship between screen time, television viewing time, computer use, and anxiety risk.

Conclusion: Limited evidence is available on the association between SB and risk of anxiety. However, our findings suggest a positive association (i.e. anxiety risk increases as SB time increases) may exist (particularly between sitting time and risk of anxiety). Further high-quality longitudinal/interventional research is needed to confirm findings and determine the direction of these relationships.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow of study selection through the phases of the review
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Pate RR, Stevens J, Webber LS, Dowda M, Murray DM, Young DR, et al. Age-related change in physical activity in adolescent girls. J Adolesc Health. 2009;44(3):275–82. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.07.003. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Must A, Tybor DJ. Physical activity and sedentary behavior: a review of longitudinal studies of weight and adiposity in youth. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2005;29(S2):S84–96. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0803064. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Hu FB, Li TY, Colditz GA, Willett WC, Manson JE. Television watching and other sedentary behaviors in relation to risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus in women. JAMA. 2003;289(14):1785–91. doi: 10.1001/jama.289.14.1785. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Katzmarzyk PT, Church TS, Craig CL, Bouchard C. Sitting time and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(5):998–1005. doi: 10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181930355. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Warburton DER, Nicol CW, Bredin SSD. Health benefits of physical activity: the evidence. Can Med Assoc J. 2006;174(6):801–9. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.051351. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types