According to a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, fidgeting could potentially decrease the risk of mortality in people who sit for most of the day.
The study looks at data from a larger project—the UK Women’s Cohort Study, which focused on the eating patterns of 35,000 women. From 1999 to 2002, the research team invited 12,778 women between the ages of 37 and 78 to answer questions regarding their diets, smoking status, alcohol consumption, chronic disease, physical activity levels, health behaviors, and fidgeting.
Each subject was followed up with on mortality over a 12-year period, on average. The risk of mortality was estimated in the high vs. low and medium vs. low sitting time groups.
For subjects who sat for long periods of time and considered themselves “moderately or very fidgety,” no increased risk or mortality was found as a result of sitting. The risk appeared to increase in the case of subjects who considered themselves “very occasional fidgeters.”
The study’s co-lead author, Professor Janet Cade, concludes, “While further research is needed, the findings raise questions about whether the negative associations with fidgeting, such as rudeness or lack of concentration, should persist if such simple movements are beneficial for our health.”
Sources for Today’s Article:
Hagger-Johnson, G., et al., “Sitting time, fidgeting, and all-cause mortality in the UK women’s cohort study,” American Journal of Preventive Medicine September 23, 2015, doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2015.06.025.
Brazier, Y., “Fidgeting May be Good for Health,” Medical News Today web site, September 23, 2015; http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/299909.php.