Being a couch potato could make you more anxious.

Sitting for long periods to play video games or watch television has long been associated with obesity and heart disease. Now, a new study has found that being sedentary can also increase the risk of anxiety.

Researchers in Australia did a systematic review of nine studies that assessed the relationship between anxiety and inactivity. In five of the studies, the researchers found that an increase in sedentary behavior was associated with a heightened risk of developing anxiety. Four of the studies linked a greater amount of time spent sitting with an increased anxiety risk.

The findings were published in the journal BMC Public Health.

In one of the studies reviewed by Australian researchers, high school students who spent more than two hours a day in front of a television, computer or cell phone screens were 36 percent more likely to develop anxiety than those who spent less than two hours glued to screens.

However, the problem wasn’t just too much computer or television time. The researchers from the Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research at Deakin University also defined sedentary time as activities that require minimal body movement, such as sitting at work or being in a car while traveling.

Anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults in the United States, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. Anxiety can lead to headaches, excessive worrying and muscle tension, among other effects.

Researchers said the evidence, while limited, demonstrates that more work is needed to understand the many factors and mechanisms that lead to anxiety. That could ultimately help scientists develop strategies for preventing it.