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Title: Intervention to induce short-term increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in the Lower Mississippi Delta

Author
item KATZMARZYK, PETER - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item CHAMPAGNE, CATHERINE - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item TUDOR-LOCKE, CATRINE - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item BROYLES, STEPHANIE - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item HARSHA, DAVID - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item KENNEDY, BETTY - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item JOHNSON, WILLIAM - 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: Katzmarzyk, P.T., Champagne, C.M., Tudor-Locke, C., Broyles, S.T., Harsha, D., Kennedy, B.M., Johnson, W.D. 2011. Intervention to induce short-term increases in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in the Lower Mississippi Delta [abstract]. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 43(5 Supplement):S492.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Our objective was to determine if a short-term pedometer-based educational intervention results in short-term increases in time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to an education-only intervention, and whether increases in the number of steps taken per day correlate with measurable increases in MVPA. This was a randomized, controlled short-term (one week) pedometer-based feasibility trial evaluated by accelerometry. Primary outcomes were changes in time spent in accelerometer-determined MVPA. All assessments were conducted at baseline (pre-intervention) and immediately post-intervention. The sample included 42 overweight adults 35 to 64 years of age from a small community in the Louisiana Lower Mississippi Delta region. Participants were randomized equally into a one-week education-only control group or a group that received the same education and wore a pedometer. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare group changes in 7-day accelerometer-measured MVPA from baseline to post-intervention. Pearson correlation was used to assess the association between changes in steps taken per day and changes in time spent in MVPA. There was an overall increase in MVPA in the entire sample (p=0.02); however, the effect of the addition of the pedometer to the education program itself was not significant (p=0.89). Mean (+/-SE) MVPA increased from 12.7+/-2.4 min/day to 16.2+/-3.6 min/day in the education-only group and from 13.2+/-3.3 min/day to 16.3+/-3.9 min/day in the education + pedometer group. The correlation between changes in steps/day and changes in MVPA was 0.69 (p<0.0001) in the overall sample, 0.72 (p = 0.0003) in the education-only group and 0.63 (p = 0.004) in the education + pedometer group. The addition of a pedometer to a short-term education program did not produce increases in MVPA beyond that observed with an education program alone in this Lower Mississippi Delta sample. However, participants who did increase their walking behavior had a propensity to also increase their time spent in MVPA.