No significant changes in any other health outcomes were found in either group .
Background : Recent systematic review s have suggested that pedometers may be effective motivational tools to promote walking .
However , studies tend to be of a relatively short duration , with small clinical based sample s. Further research is required to demonstrate their effectiveness in adequately powered , community based studies .
Objective : Using a r and omized controlled trial design , this study assessed the impact of a 12-week graduated pedometer-based walking intervention on daily step-counts , self-reported physical activity and health outcomes in a Scottish community sample not meeting current physical activity recommendations .
Physical activity patterns among walkers and compliance with public health recommendations.
PURPOSE Walking is the most common leisure-time physical activity ( LTPA ) among U.S. adults . The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of  walking for physical activity  and the proportion of  walkers who met current public health  physical activity recommendations . METHODS We analyzed data from the 1998 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System , a collection of state-based , r and om-digit-dialed telephone surveys of adults . Physical activity measures included the type , frequency , and duration of the two LTPAs in which respondents engaged most often during the previous month . We calculated the prevalence of walking and the prevalence of three physical activity patterns defined by combinations of walking duration and frequency . We also examined the effect on these patterns of participating in a second LTPA . RESULTS In 1998 , an estimated 38.6 % of U.S. adults walked for physical activity . Among walkers , 21.3 % walked a minimum of 30 min five or more times per week . This approximates compliance with current physical activity recommendations . Compliance increased to 34.5 % when the criteria were relaxed to include at least 150 min of walking per week accumulated over three or more occasions . Relaxing the criteria further to include a minimum of 150 min.wk(-1 ) regardless of frequency produced only a small increase in compliance ( 37.6 % ) . However , compliance with each of these three activity patterns approximately doubled when a second LTPA was taken into account . CONCLUSIONS Less than 40 % of walkers complied through walking with even our most liberal physical activity pattern ( > or = 150 min.wk(-1 ) regardless of frequency ) . For walkers to meet current public health recommendations , many need to walk more frequently and /or to engage in additional physical activities
No significant changes in any other health outcomes were found in either group .
Background : Recent systematic review s have suggested that pedometers may be effective motivational tools to promote walking .
However , studies tend to be of a relatively short duration , with small clinical based sample s. Further research is required to demonstrate their effectiveness in adequately powered , community based studies .
Objective : Using a r and omized controlled trial design , this study assessed the impact of a 12-week graduated pedometer-based walking intervention on daily step-counts , self-reported physical activity and health outcomes in a Scottish community sample not meeting current physical activity recommendations .