title: Walking to meet physical activity guidelines in knee osteoarthritis: is 10,000 steps enough?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study if step goals (eg, walking 10,000 steps a day) approximate meeting the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional observational cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community.
  
  
  METHODS
  People with or at high risk of knee OA (N=1788).
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Objective physical activity data were collected over 7 consecutive days from people with or at high risk of knee OA participating in the Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study. Using activity monitor data, we determined the proportion that (1) walked ≥10,000 steps per day, (2) met the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines, and (3) achieved both recommendations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the subjects studied (mean age ± SD, 67±8y; mean body mass index ± SD, 31±6kg/m(2); 60% women), 16.7% of men and 12.6% of women walked ≥10,000 steps per day, while 6% of men and 5% of women met the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Of those walking ≥10,000 steps per day, 16.7% and 26.7% of men and women, respectively, also met the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among this sample of older adults with or at high risk of knee OA, walking ≥10,000 steps a day did not translate into meeting public health guidelines. These findings highlight the disparity between the number of steps believed to be needed per day and the recommended time-intensity guidelines to achieve positive health benefits.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02115, USA. dwtbn@bu.edu
authors.forename: Daniel K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Catrine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tudor-Locke
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Felson
authors.forename: K Doug
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: Jingbo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Niu
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nevitt
authors.forename: Cora E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Torner
authors.forename: Tuhina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neogi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*