Study Links Each Extra Hour of Prolonged Sitting to 10% Higher Cancer Death Risk but Cannot Prove Cause

Fox News reported that an observational study led by University of Glasgow researchers found each additional hour per day of prolonged sedentary behavior associated with a 10% higher risk of cancer death. The study tracked 91,292 UK volunteers who wore wrist movement devices for seven days and followed their health outcomes for roughly 12 years.

Prolonged sedentary behavior was defined as any bout of at least 30 minutes during which at least 90% of the time was spent sitting.

Interrupted sitting covered sessions shorter than 30 minutes or broken by brief activity. The findings were published in PLOS Medicine. Replacing one hour of sitting daily with light activity was linked to a 12% lower cancer death risk.

Substituting 30 minutes with moderate activity showed an 8% reduction, while five minutes of vigorous activity corresponded to a 22% lower risk. Light activity included walking at low speed and household tasks such as ironing or washing dishes. "This study adds to growing evidence that prolonged sedentary behavior is an independent health risk," Dr.

Georgia Spear, chief of breast imaging at Northwestern Medicine, told Fox News Digital. " Spear added that the results support public health advice to move regularly. Researchers cautioned that the study cannot establish causality and that the volunteers may not represent the broader population.

The activity monitor captured only a limited period without context such as work or driving.