Increasing Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity in the Lower Mississippi Delta

Abstract

PURPOSE: To determine if a short-term pedometer-based educational intervention results in immediate 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. METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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. CONCLUSIONS: 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. Supported by ARS/USDA Cooperative Agreement no. 58-6251-8-038.