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Title: Patterns of stepping cadence in the 2005-2006 NHANES

Author
item TUDOR-LOCKE, CATRINE - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item CAMHI, SARAH - Boston University
item LEONARDI, CLAUDIA - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item JOHNSON, WILLIAM - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item KATZMARZYK, PETER - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item EARNEST, CONRAD - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item CHURCH, TIMOTHY - Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Submitted to: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/3/2011
Publication Date: 5/3/2011
Citation: Tudor-Locke, C., Camhi, S., Leonardi, C., Johnson, W.D., Katzmarzyk, P.T., Earnest, C.P., Church, T.S. 2011. Patterns of stepping cadence in the 2005-2006 NHANES [abstract]. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 43(5 Supplement):S480.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Laboratory studies of adult walking behavior have consistently found that a cadence of 100 steps/min is a reasonable threshold for moderate intensity. The purpose of this study was to determine cadence patterns in free-living adults, and in particular, time spent at increasing cadence increments, including 100 steps/min and beyond. 3,744 adults = 20 years provided at least one valid day (minimally 10/24 hours of wear) of minute-by-minute accelerometer-determined step data during the 2005-2006 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Means for time spent (min/day) and steps/day were calculated for 8 cadence categories including 0 and each 20-step incremental cadence band beginning with 1-19 through 100-119, and beyond to 120+ steps/min. U.S. adults accumulate 4.8 hours/day of zero cadence during wearing time, 8.7 hours between 1-59 steps/min, 16 min/day at cadences of 60-79 steps/min, 8 minutes at 80-99 steps/min, 5 minutes at 100-119 steps/min, and 2 minutes at 120+ steps/min. Conclusion: Self-selected walking at 100+ steps/minute was a rare phenomenon in this large free-living sample of the U.S. population, but study participants did accumulate 30 min/day at cadences of 60+ steps/min.