Walk@Work: An automated intervention to increase walking in university employees not achieving 10,000 daily steps
Menée en Australie, en Irlande du Nord, au Canada et aux Etats-Unis dans 5 campus universitaires, cette étude évalue l'efficacité d'un programme d'interventions à l'aide d'un podomètre et d'un site web pour augmenter l'activité physique chez les employés dont le nombre de pas quotidiens est inférieur à 10 000 (âge moyen : 45,6 ans ; 100 hommes et 290 femmes)
Objective This study assessed the workday step counts of lower active (< 10,000 daily steps) university employees using an automated, web-based walking intervention (Walk@Work). Methods Academic and administrative staff (n = 390; 45.6 ± 10.8 years; BMI 27.2 ± 5.5 kg/m2; 290 women) at five campuses (Australia [x2], Canada, Northern Ireland and the United States), were given a pedometer, access to the website program (2010–11) and tasked with increasing workday walking by 1,000 daily steps above baseline, every two weeks, over a six week period. Step count changes at four weeks post intervention were evaluated relative to campus and baseline walking. Results Across the sample, step counts significantly increased from baseline to post-intervention (1,477 daily steps; p = 0.001). Variations in increases were evident between campuses (largest difference of 870 daily steps; p = 0.04) and for baseline activity status. Those least active at baseline (< 5,000 daily steps; n = 125) increased step counts the most (1,837 daily steps; p = 0.001), whereas those most active (7,500 – 9,999 daily steps; n = 79) increased the least (929 daily steps; p = 0.001). Conclusions Walk@Work increased workday walking by 25% in this sample overall. Increases occurred through an automated program, at campuses in different countries, and were most evident for those most in need of intervention.