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Background: Regular physical activity (PA) is important for optimal health. Objective: This study determined the effects of a 6-month pedometer-determined PA intervention on body composition indices in employees at the Karolinska Institute (KI) in Sweden. Methods: Randomly-selected KI employees (n = 214) participated in a six-month walking intervention. Participants were instructed to wear a pedometer (Yamax SW 200) to monitor steps taken with a goal of walking more than 10 000 steps per day. Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, waist circumference, body composition, and Sagittal Abdominal Diameter (SAD)) were taken at months one, three, and six. Body composition was determined by foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) with the Tanita scale. A multi-level growth modeling approach was used to explore change over time and predict change by steps, age, gender, and body fat categories. Results: Age ranged from 24 to 66 years (39 men, age = 36.9 ± 9.7 years, 175 women, age = 45.9 ± 12.3 years). The mean number of steps in month one was 13 105 steps/day (SD = 2998) and it decreased at three months to 11 741 steps/day (SD = 4667) and at six months to 9939 steps/day (SD = 5949). There was a significant change over time with significant individual differences in initial starting values and linear slopes. A reduction in BMI over time was significant for older participants (51 - 66 yrs; t =-3.48, P = 0.0006), and there was a significant reduction in waist circumference (WC) for middle-aged (36-51 yrs; t = -5.97, P <.0001) and older participants (t = -7.38, P <.0001). There was also a significant reduction in WC over time in the subgroup of females (t = -4.55, P <.0001). No other changes were statistically significant. Conclusion: Selected body composition measures can be improved by a six-month pedometer-determined PA intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We describe the study design and methods used in a 9-month pedometer-based worksite intervention called "ASUKI Step" conducted at the Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Stockholm, Sweden and Arizona State University (ASU) in the greater Phoenix area, Arizona., Methods/design: "ASUKI Step" was based on the theory of social support and a quasi-experimental design was used for evaluation. Participants included 2,118 faculty, staff, and graduate students from ASU (n = 712) and KI (n = 1,406) who participated in teams of 3-4 persons. The intervention required participants to accumulate 10,000 steps each day for six months, with a 3-month follow-up period. Steps were recorded onto a study-specific website. Participants completed a website-delivered questionnaire four times to identify socio-demographic, health, psychosocial and environmental correlates of study participation. One person from each team at each university location was randomly selected to complete physical fitness testing to determine their anthropometric and cardiovascular health and to wear an accelerometer for one week. Study aims were: 1) to have a minimum of 400 employee participants from each university site reach a level of 10,000 steps per day on at least 100 days (3.5 months) during the trial period; 2) to have 70% of the employee participants from each university site maintain two or fewer inactive days per week, defined as a level of less than 3,000 steps per day; 3) to describe the socio-demographic, psychosocial, environmental and health-related determinants of success in the intervention; and 4) to evaluate the effects of a pedometer-based walking intervention in a university setting on changes in self-perceived health and stress level, sleep patterns, anthropometric measures and fitness.Incentives were given for compliance to the study protocol that included weekly raffles for participation prizes and a grand finale trip to Arizona or Sweden for teams with most days over 10,000 steps., Discussion: "ASUKI Step" is designed to increase the number of days employees walk 10,000 steps and to reduce the number of days employees spend being inactive. The study also evaluates the intra- and interpersonal determinants for success in the intervention and in a sub-sample of the study, changes in physical fitness and body composition during the study., Trial Registration: Current Controlled Trials NCT01537939.