#0129 Don’t Sit on It: Sedentary Work Linked to Breast Cancer Risk

Don’t Sit on It: Sedentary Work Linked to Breast Cancer Risk

Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death in women. Over the past few years, research has extensively focused on identifying environmental or lifestyle-related risk factors of breast cancer in order to provide targeted interventions. While low levels of overall physical activity are associated with breast cancer, the link between breast cancer and sedentary time spent at work—which occupies a large chunk of the day for working women—is not fully clear. 

A group of researchers from South Korea attempted to address this gap and obtain up-to-date and comprehensive evidence on the association between breast cancer risk and sedentary time at work. They systematically analyzed data pooled from 31 studies across Asia, Europe, North America, and Australia. Of these 31 studies, 13 were cohort studies that examined the frequency of breast cancer and sedentary behavior in a specific population, and 18 were case–control studies wherein sedentary behavior was compared between women with and without breast cancer.

On the whole, the researchers found that sedentary time spent at work was linked to a 15.5% increase in the risk of breast cancer. However, when only cohort studies were considered, the increase in risk appeared to be 20%, and case-control studies reported a 12% risk increase. Further, the risk estimates were higher in more recently published studies. Nevertheless, the results also showed that the risk of breast cancer was similar among different groups of women with similar levels of sedentary work behavior, irrespective of their body mass index, menopausal status, or history of hormone replacement treatment.

Together, the findings suggest the need for new measures to reduce sedentary time spent at work among women. Additionally, they call for new strategies for encouraging physical activity among sedentary workers. Such steps would be valuable for ensuring women’s health, both occupationally and otherwise.

Link to the original journal article:
https://academic.oup.com/joh/article/63/1/e12239/7249875

Title of the paper:
Sedentary work and breast cancer risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Authors:
Jongin Lee, JaeYong Lee, Dong-Wook Lee, Hyoung-Ryoul Ki, Mo-Yeol Kang

DOI:
10.1002/1348-9585.12239