In Case You Haven't Heard…

Abstract

Can sitting too long adversely affect your mental health? As Americans spent more time at home in the early months of the COVID‐19 pandemic, some studies have shown they spent more time sitting, too, the Ames Tribune reported Nov. 1. And, according to research from Iowa State University's Wellbeing and Exercise Laboratory, that extra sedentary time is associated with higher rates of depression. Laboratory Director Jacob Meyer and his team surveyed more than 3,000 adults from all 50 states and the District of Columbia between April and June 2020, asking them to report their physical activity on a weekly basis and compare it to their level of pre‐pandemic movement. The researchers also calculated the participants' levels of depression and anxiety using clinical scales. On average, people's mental health gradually improved during those eight weeks as they adjusted to pandemic life, Meyer's research shows. But people who maintained high levels of sitting had less improvement in their depressive symptoms than people who were more active. No causal conclusions can be made from the study's findings, Meyer said. It's possible that people who were more depressed sat more, or that people who sat more became more depressed. There may also be other factors at play that were out of the scope of the study.