Evaluation of an employer-sponsored pedometer-based physical activity program

Percept Mot Skills. 2007 Dec;105(3 Pt 1):968-76. doi: 10.2466/pms.105.3.968-976.

Abstract

This study evaluated a competition-based employer-sponsored physical activity program using pedometers. City employees (N approximately 2,600) formed teams in groups of 10 persons (N = 640). The groups competed against each other over a 12-wk. period with the goal of attaining 10,000 steps per day, per person. Only teams with complete data were included in the formal evaluation. A repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated significant differences in team steps by week of the program, with post hoc comparisons indicating significant differences from baseline step counts evident during Weeks 6-8 but not at the end of the program. These data confirm that competition-based physical activity programs using pedometers may not be an effective means of increasing the long-term physical activity of employees.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Competitive Behavior / physiology*
  • Female
  • Health Behavior
  • Health Promotion / methods*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Monitoring, Physiologic / methods
  • Monitoring, Physiologic / statistics & numerical data*
  • Motivation
  • Motor Activity / physiology*
  • Occupational Health*
  • Physical Fitness / physiology
  • Program Development
  • Program Evaluation / methods
  • Walking / physiology*
  • Walking / statistics & numerical data
  • Workplace / organization & administration