The results suggest that the use of a pedometer is associated with significant increases in physical activity and significant decreases in body mass index and blood pressure .
CONTEXT Without detailed evidence of their effectiveness , pedometers have recently become popular as a tool for motivating physical activity .
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of pedometer use with physical activity and health outcomes among outpatient adults .
Effects of a Minimal Intervention to Increase Physical Activity in Women: Daily Activity Records
Background Effective interventions to increase physical activity levels are critical in a nation where inactivity is a national public health problem . Objective This pilot study examined whether a minimal intervention ( daily records of physical activity ) increased activity levels in a community sample of working women . Methods In a longitudinal , pretest-posttest design , 49 working women were r and omly assigned at the work site level to the control ( n = 25 ) or intervention group ( n = 24 ) . At pretest and posttest , subjects completed self-report question naires that measured psychological , social-environmental , physical activity , and demographic variables . Subjects in the intervention group kept daily records of their physical activities during the 12-week study , while those in the control group kept no records . In order to compare activity in the two groups , all subjects wore pedometers daily that recorded number of steps . Results There was a significant difference between groups in the pedometer values ( mean number of daily steps ) at the end of the study period ( mean difference ±SE : 2147 ± 636 , p = .022 ) ( 2000 steps = approximately 1 mile ) . Multiple regression analysis showed that only the intervention ( p = .003 ) was a significant predictor of the pedometer values . Hierarchical data analysis was used to account for the intra-class correlation of 0.48 within work site . Conclusion Results from this sample of 49 women indicated that mean activity was greater in the intervention group compared to the control group . Recording daily activity is a cost-effective and acceptable intervention that may increase activity levels in women . However , more research is recommended to study the dual role of activity records as a data collection method as well as a potential intervention to increase physical activity
The results suggest that the use of a pedometer is associated with significant increases in physical activity and significant decreases in body mass index and blood pressure .
CONTEXT Without detailed evidence of their effectiveness , pedometers have recently become popular as a tool for motivating physical activity .
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the association of pedometer use with physical activity and health outcomes among outpatient adults .