ArticleLancet (London, England)2012
Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy.
Article in Lancet (London, England), 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 19 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 3,422 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
The Effect of Acupoint Massotherapy on Relieving Chemotherapy-induced Myelosupression Among Patients With Cancer
The Effect of Physical Activity and Abstain From Smoking on the Regression of Precancerous Lesion.
Early Pulmonary Rehabilitation With Elastic Resistance in Exacerbated COPD Patients
Determination of the Time-course of Development of Insulin Resistance, and Associated Molecular and Muscular Adaptations, During Inactivity in 3 Days of Bed-rest
Which Primary Care Patients Benefit From Physical Activity on Prescription? An Analysis of Factors Predicting Increased Physical Activity
Multifactorial Intervention of Primary Prevention in High Risk Subjects: a Randomized Trial
Recovery, Fatigability, and Proteomic Response to Aerobic Exercise Training in Healthy Individuals
Monitoring and Telecoaching of Physical Activity in Patients With Stage III and IV Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
The Heat Is On To Increase Physical Activity: Comparing Two Different Methods To Prescribe Exercise
ENerGetics in Old AGE (ENGAGE Study) - Validation of Multiple Accelerometers and Physical Activity Questionnaires Against Indirect Calorimetry Under Laboratory and Free-living Conditions in Very Old Adults
Identifying Prognostic Variables for Persistent Upper Limb Dysfunctions After Breast Cancer Treatment: Longitudinal Cohort Study
The CHAMP Afterschool Program: Promoting Physical Activity & Health in Children
The Efficacy of Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training on Coronary Blood Flow in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease
Smartphone Based Health Behaviour Intervention for Adolescents; Usage and Daily Attrition Rates.
Investigation of the Effectiveness of Regular Physical Activity in University Students Within the Scope of a Course
Effectiveness of the Active Transport Educational Program Based on the Ecological Model on Improving the Physical and Mental Health of Secondary Students: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Mov-Es Project)
Effect of Whole-body Vibration Training on Bone Mineral Density and Physical Performance in Patient With Renal Dialysis
Comparative Effects of Periodized Circuit Training And Conventional Strength Training on Cardiovascular Fitness, Pulmonary Functions, Health- Related Quality of Life and Glycemic Control in Patients With Diabetes Type II
Assessment of Changes in Range of Motion and Muscle Endurance After Practicing the "Xuong Tan Lac Than" Exercise in Healthy Volunteers
Who cites it
3,422 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 8,176 citations in OpenAlex.
- Functional social support and physical activity in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.BMC public health · 2026Pooled it
- Evaluating the Impact of Stair Climbing on Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.American journal of cardiovascular drugs : drugs, devices, and other interventions · 2026Pooled it
- A critical systematic review of the impact of sedentarism and physical inactivity on the cognitive performance of children.Systematic reviews · 2026Pooled it
- Personality and mortality risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal data.Journal of personality and social psychology · 2026Pooled it
- Interventions for promoting physical activity among adolescents in school settings: systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of global health · 2026Pooled it
- The impact of public policy on socioeconomic equity in physical activity: a systematic review.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2026Pooled it
- Self-efficacy in exercise behaviour in persons with a diagnosed condition: a systematic evidence map.BMJ open · 2026Pooled it
- Physical inactivity in chronic airways disease: an important candidate in the treatable traits paradigm.European respiratory review : an official journal of the European Respiratory Society · 2026Pooled it
- Underlying strategies of scaling up and sustaining physical activity interventions.Frontiers in health services · 2026Pooled it
- Effectiveness of outdoor fitness equipment intervention on health outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Changes in hemoglobin levels and cardiometabolic health in adults with metabolic syndrome - a secondary outcome analysis of a six-month randomized controlled trial.Annals of medicine · 2026Trial
- The role of the 'obligation to help others' within the superwoman schema: implications for physical activity in African American women with low activity levels.Journal of behavioral medicine · 2026Trial
- Efficacy of mental and physical training on blood pressure and resting heart rate among physically inactive young adults with elevated blood pressure: a randomized controlled trial.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Effects of unsupervised campus HIIT on fitness and sleep in sedentary male students: a randomized controlled trial.BMC public health · 2026Trial
- Physical activity coaching programme for people with Long COVID: a pilot randomised clinical trial.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Digital Peer Support to Increase Walking Among Older Adults: Cluster Randomized Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2026Trial
- Comparing The Effects of Small-Sided Handball Games and High-Intensity Interval Training on The Physical Health and Fitness of Untrained Individuals: A 16-Week Randomized Controlled Study.Journal of sports science & medicine · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Structural physical activity restriction, cerebrovascular and diabetes mortality, and long-term care intensity in Japan: An ecological panel study across 47 prefectures (2013-2022) with a COVID-19 counterfactual analysis.Dialogues in health · 2026Article
- Physiological Responses, Exercise Intensity, and Enjoyment During Ring Fit Adventure in Adults With Chronic Diseases: Single-Arm, Pre-Post Experimental Study.JMIR formative research · 2026Article
3,362 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 6 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundStrong evidence shows that physical inactivity increases the risk of many adverse health conditions, including major non-communicable diseases such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and breast and colon cancers, and shortens life expectancy. Because much of the world's population is inactive, this link presents a major public health issue. We aimed to quantify the eff ect of physical inactivity on these major non-communicable diseases by estimating how much disease could be averted if inactive people were to become active and to estimate gain in life expectancy at the population level.
methodsFor our analysis of burden of disease, we calculated population attributable fractions (PAFs) associated with physical inactivity using conservative assumptions for each of the major non-communicable diseases, by country, to estimate how much disease could be averted if physical inactivity were eliminated. We used life-table analysis to estimate gains in life expectancy of the population.
findingsWorldwide, we estimate that physical inactivity causes 6% (ranging from 3·2% in southeast Asia to 7·8% in the eastern Mediterranean region) of the burden of disease from coronary heart disease, 7% (3·9-9·6) of type 2 diabetes, 10% (5·6-14·1) of breast cancer, and 10% (5·7-13·8) of colon cancer. Inactivity causes 9% (range 5·1-12·5) of premature mortality, or more than 5·3 million of the 57 million deaths that occurred worldwide in 2008. If inactivity were not eliminated, but decreased instead by 10% or 25%, more than 533 000 and more than 1·3 million deaths, respectively, could be averted every year. We estimated that elimination of physical inactivity would increase the life expectancy of the world's population by 0·68 (range 0·41-0·95) years.
interpretationPhysical inactivity has a major health eff ect worldwide. Decrease in or removal of this unhealthy behaviour could improve health substantially.
fundingNone.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.