Evaluation of an employer-sponsored pedometer-based physical activity program

This study evaluated a competition-based employer-sponsored physical activity program using pedometers. City employees (N~2,600) formed teams in groups of 10 persons (N=640). The groups competed against each other over a 12-wk. period with the goal of attaining 10,000 steps per day, per person. Only teams with complete data were included in the formal evaluation. A repeated-measures analysis of variance indicated significant differences in team steps by week of the program, with post hoc comparisons indicating significant differences from baseline step counts evident during Weeks 6-8 but not at the end of the program. These data confirm that competition-based physical activity programs using pedometers may not be an effective means of increasing the long-term physical activity of employees.