Association between sedentary behavior and the onset of depression: a prospective cohort study using the Bayesian estimation

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K21509
• Project/Area Number (Other): 18H06435 (2018)
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund (2019); Single-year Grants (2018)
• Review Section: 0909:Sports sciences, physical education, health sciences, and related fields
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Kazuhiro 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 助教 (60822682)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-08-24 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 座位行動 / 身体活動 / 労働者 / メンタルヘルス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we examined the association between sitting time at work and the onset of major depressive episode among Japanese workers. We conducted a one-year prospective cohort study for three companies in Japan and collected data. A total of 233 workers participated in the study. Statistical analysis showed that workers who sat 9.5 hours or more per day at work (at work) were about twice as likely to have a major depressive episode as workers who did not. The association did not change even when considering the level of physical activity and the level of occupational stressors. Now we are submitting a manuscript to the international academic journal to report the findings.

Free Research Field

産業保健

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は世界で初めて仕事における座位行動とうつ病発症との関連を前向きに検討したものであり、その学術的独自性は高いといえる。また、これまで不明であった座位行動と大うつ病エピソード発症との関連を明らかにすることは、健康科学における学術的知見を蓄積する上で、および産業保健現場における座位行動への介入の重要性を示す上で、非常に創造性の高い研究であるといえる。仕事において9.5時間以上座ることは、大うつ病エピソード発症のリスクを高める可能性があり、この知見は事業者にとって、予防の必要性が非常に高いうつ病への対策として、座位時間を減少させることの動機づけを高めるものである。