Effects of "10,000 steps Ghent": a whole-community intervention.
BACKGROUND
Currently there is a great deal of interest in multistrategy community-based approaches to changing physical activity or health behaviors. The aim of this article is to describe the effectiveness of the physical activity promotion project "10,000 Steps Ghent" after 1 year of intervention.


METHODS
A multistrategy community-based intervention was implemented in 2005 with follow-up measurements in 2006 to promote physical activity to adults. A local media campaign, environmental approaches, the sale and loan of pedometers, and several local physical activity projects were concurrently implemented. In 2005, 872 randomly selected subjects (aged 25 to 75), from the intervention community Ghent and 810 from a comparison community, participated in the baseline measurements. Of these, 660 intervention subjects and 634 comparison subjects completed the follow-up measurements in 2006. Statistical analyses were performed in 2006.


RESULTS
After one year there was an increase of 8% in the number of people reaching the "10,000 steps" standard in Ghent, compared with no increase in the comparison community. Average daily steps increased by 896 (95% CI=599-1192) in the intervention community, but there was no increase in the comparison community (mean change -135 [95% CI= -432 to 162]) (F time x community=22.8, p<0.001). Results are supported by self-reported International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) data.


CONCLUSIONS
The "10,000 steps/day" message reached the Ghent population and the project succeeded in increasing pedometer-determined physical activity levels in Ghent, after 1 year of intervention.
De Cocker
Katrien A
KA
Department of Movement and Sports Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Katrien.DeCocker@UGent.be
De Bourdeaudhuij
Ilse M
IM
Brown
Wendy J
WJ
Cardon
Greet M
GM
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000295:instrumentation; D019058:Community Networks / Q000458:organization & administration; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016138:Walking