Abstract
BackgroundEmerging evidence shows sedentary behaviour may be associated with mental health outcomes. Yet, the strength of the evidence linking sedentary behaviour and stress is still unclear. This study aimed to synthesise evidence regarding associations between time spent in sedentary behaviour and stress in adults.MethodsA systematic search was conducted (January 1990 – September 2019). Following PRISMA guidelines, an evaluation of methodological quality, and best-evidence synthesis of associations between time in sedentary behaviour (including sitting time, TV viewing, computer use) and stress were presented. Twenty-six studies reporting on data from n = 72,795 people (age 18-98y, 62.7% women) were included.ResultsAcross the studies (n = 2 strong-, n = 10 moderate- and n = 14 weak-quality), there was insufficient evidence that overall time spent in sedentary behaviour and sitting time were associated with stress, particularly when using self-report measures of sedentary behaviour or stress. There was strong evidence of no association between TV viewing, or computer use and stress. Amongst studies using objective measures of sedentary behaviour and/or stress there was also strong evidence of no association.ConclusionAlthough previous research suggested sedentary behaviour may be linked to mental health outcomes such as depression and anxiety, the evidence for an association between various types of sedentary behaviour and stress is limited in quality, and associations are either inconsistent or null. High-quality longitudinal/interventional research is required to confirm findings and determine the direction of associations between different contexts (i.e. purpose) and domains (i.e. leisure, occupational, transport) of sedentary behaviour and stress.
Highlights
Emerging evidence shows sedentary behaviour may be associated with mental health outcomes
Articles were eligible for inclusion if they: 1) were published in a peer-reviewed journal in English between January 1990 to September 2019; 2) examined apparently healthy adults aged ≥18 years (i.e. those not recruited among populations with underlying chronic physical conditions or mental disorders); 3) examined self-reported or objective measures of screen-based sedentary behaviour or other forms of sitting time; 4) assessed self-reported or objective measures of stress; and 5) employed a cross-sectional, longitudinal, direct observation, or controlled experimental study design
Twenty one of the 26 study samples were comprised of men and women [33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41, 43, 44, 47,48,49,50,51,52, 56, 57], while the remaining five studies were conducted among women only [45, 46, 53,54,55]
Summary
Emerging evidence shows sedentary behaviour may be associated with mental health outcomes. This study aimed to synthesise evidence regarding associations between time spent in sedentary behaviour and stress in adults. Psychological stress is linked to reduced workplace productivity and increased absenteeism [11] and is estimated to cost the US USD$42 billion [2], the EU-15 €26.47 billion [12], and Australia AUD$25 billion [13] per year. Given this significant impact, understanding lifestyle factors that may influence (or be influenced by) stress is essential
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