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Title: Accelerometer steps/day translation of moderate-to-vigorous activity

Author
item TUDOR-LOCKE, CATRINE - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item LEONARDI, CLAUDIA - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item JOHNSON, WILLIAM - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item KATZMARZYK, PETER - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item CHURCH, TIMOTHY - Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Submitted to: Preventive Medicine
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/21/2011
Publication Date: 7/14/2011
Citation: Tudor-Locke, C., Leonardi, C., Johnson, W.D., Katzmarzyk, P.T., Church, T.S. 2011. Accelerometer steps/day translation of moderate-to-vigorous activity. Preventive Medicine. 53:31-33.

Interpretive Summary: We determined a direct steps/day translation of public health recommendations related to daily and weekly accumulations of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), using accelerometer-defined step and intensity data collected as part of the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We found that accumulating approximately 8,000 steps/day is associated with obtaining 30 minutes of daily MVPA, while accumulating 7,000 steps/day every day of the week is consistent with obtaining 150 minutes of weekly MVPA.

Technical Abstract: Physical activity (PA) guidelines are typically communicated in terms of duration, frequency and intensity, e.g., 30 minutes/day of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity(MVPA) on at least 5 days/week. Step counters can be used to collect objective PA expressed as steps/day, however the association between steps/day and recommended PA levels is unclear. We determined a direct steps/day translation of 30 minutes/day accumulated MVPA, using concurrently detected ActiGraph accelerometer-defined step and activity count data collected as part of the 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). We employed statistical models to analyze data from 3,523 participants 20+ years of age who wore the accelerometer for at least one valid day (i.e., at least 10/24 hours) over 7 days. Thirty minutes/day of MVPA translated to approximately 7,900 steps/day for males and 8,300 steps/day for females. In a subsample of participants (n=1,197) with valid data on all 7 days, we found 150 minutes/week of MVPA translated to approximately 7,000 steps/day (or 49,000 steps/week). Accumulating approximately 8,000 steps/day is a good proxy for 30 minutes of daily MVPA, while accumulating 7,000 steps/day every day of the week is consistent with obtaining 150 minutes of weekly MVPA.