Research

Mixed

Leisure time spent sitting for 6 or more hours per day is independently associated with a significantly higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to sitting less than 3 hours per day, regardless of the individual's level of physical activity.

If you sit for 6 or more hours a day during your leisure time, your risk of dying from any cause is significantly higher than if you sit for less than 3 hours, even if you exercise regularly. To mitigate this risk, actively reduce your sitting time by standing up, walking, or moving frequently throughout the day, in addition to maintaining your physical activity routine.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
After adjustment for smoking, body mass index, and other factors, time spent sitting (>=6 vs. <3 hours/day) was associated with mortality in both women (relative risk = 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.25, 1.44) and men (relative risk = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.11, 1.24).
Alpa V. Patel et al. · American Journal of Epidemiology · 2010

Why this rating

Large prospective cohort (n=123,216), long follow-up (14 years), rigorous adjustment for confounders, but relies on self-reported data.

Source

Leisure Time Spent Sitting in Relation to Total Mortality in a Prospective Cohort of US Adults

Alpa V. Patel et al. · American Journal of Epidemiology · 2010

DOI 10.1093/aje/kwq155

cohort · n=123216Cited 607×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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