Tap into Research

Tap into Research is a monthly article that breaks down examples of studies that use smartphones and wearables to explore important health questions.

Authored by Emma Pritchard, HRfH Research Associate.

This month’s article

July 2026: Step count, sedentary behaviour and the risk of chronic disease

This month’s edition of Tap into Research looks at whether daily step counts can help offset the health risks linked to long periods of sedentary behaviour.

Researchers used Fitbit data from participants in the All of Us research program and found that more sedentary time was associated with a higher risk of developing 11 out of 12 chronic conditions. Higher daily step counts were linked with lower risk across all conditions. The number of steps needed to offset the extra risk from higher sedentary time varied by how long someone was sedentary per day and the specific chronic conditions.

The findings suggest that data from wearables could help shape more specific guidance on both daily steps and sedentary time.

Read the full article: Step count, sedentary behaviour and the risk of chronic disease

Previous articles

Read previous editions of Tap into Research.