A new study published in BMC Public Health has shed light on the relationship between coffee consumption, sedentary behavior, and mortality. The study found that coffee drinkers who sat for less than six hours a day had a 24 percent reduced risk of mortality compared to those who sat for more than six hours and didn’t drink coffee.
The lead author of the study, Huimin Zhou, from the Medical College of Soochow University in China, made this finding in response to a request from The Washington Post. The original study focused on the impact of non-coffee drinkers sitting for six or more hours a day on all-cause mortality.
The data used in the study was collected from over 10,000 subjects between 2007 and 2018 through the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. Analyzing this data, researchers discovered that sitting for more than eight hours a day was associated with a 46 percent higher risk of all-cause mortality and an even higher risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.
Those who consumed more than two cups of coffee per day had an even greater potential health benefit as they had a 33 percent reduced risk of all-cause mortality and a 54 percent reduced risk of cardiovascular disease mortality compared to non-coffee drinkers. However, researchers concluded that further research is needed to fully understand the potential health benefits of coffee.
This article is part of The Washington Post’s “Big Number” series that explores health issues through statistical analysis. Hyperlinks are provided for additional information and relevant research.
