Association between average daily television viewing time and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-related mortality: Findings from the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study

Background: Sedentary behavior is associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and cancer morbidity, and watching television (TV) is an important sedentary behavior. The aim of this study is to clarify the association between TV viewing time and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-related mortality in Japanese adults. Methods: Using the Cox proportional hazard model, we assessed COPD-related mortality by TV viewing time in a national cohort of 33 414 men and 43 274 women without cancer, stroke, myocardial infarction, or tuberculosis at baseline (1988-1990). Results: The median follow-up was 19.4 years; 244 men and 34 women died of COPD. Men watching ≥4 hours/ day of TV were more likely to die of COPD than those watching <2 hours/day (hazard ratio 1.63; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-2.55), independent of major confounders. No association was found in women. Conclusions: Avoiding a sedentary lifestyle, particularly prolonged TV viewing, may help in preventing death from COPD among men.