Exposure to air pollution is associated with an increase in time spent sitting, lying or standing without moving.
- According to a recent study, long-term exposure to particles less than or equal to 2.5 μm, less than or equal to 10 μm, and nitrogen dioxide reduces physical activity by 22 minutes per day.
- “Air pollution levels can affect people’s ability to exercise, or their enjoyment of exercise,” according to the authors.
- As a reminder, sedentary behavior is linked to poorer health, including heart disease, several types of cancer and early death.
Eye irritation, nasopharyngitis, excessive coughing… Air pollution has many negative effects on health. In a recent study, researchers from the University of Leicester (England) identified a link between exposure to pollutants and the propensity of adults to be inactive for longer. To arrive at this discovery, they examined observations made on 644 Britons at risk of type 2 diabetes.
22 extra minutes of inactivity per day due to air pollution
As part of the work, participants wore accelerometers around their waists for seven consecutive days during waking hours. This allowed the scientists to know their number of minutes spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity and their sedentary time on three occasions over a three-year period. Then, the annual average levels of the most measured air pollutants (i.e. long-term particulate matter with a diameter of less than or equal to 2.5 μm, less than or equal to 10 μm, and nitrogen dioxide) were compared to the annual evolution of the weather.
According to the results, published in the journal Journal of Public Healthlong-term exposure to particles less than or equal to 2.5 μm, less than or equal to 10 μm, and nitrogen dioxide was associated with an increase of 22 minutes per day per year in sedentary time, i.e. that is to say the time spent lying down, sitting or standing without moving.
Pollution: it can “affect people’s ability to exercise”
“Air pollution levels can affect people’s ability to exercise, or their enjoyment of exercise. They can also be considered a risk factor for increasing levels of sedentary behavior by encouraging time spent sitting indoors and discouraging active time outdoors, which further increases the risk of chronic disease”, has explained Jonathan Goldneylead author of the research.
According to the researcher, interventions aimed at reducing the concentration of ambient air pollution, such as low-emission zones, could thus have a truly positive impact on levels of sedentary behavior among adults, and a significant effect on public health. .
