title: Opportunities for Increased Physical Activity in the Workplace: the Walking Meeting (WaM) Pilot Study, Miami, 2015.
abstract: Despite the positive impact walking has on human health, few opportunities exist for workers with largely sedentary jobs to increase physical activity while at work. The objective of this pilot study was to examine the implementation, feasibility, and acceptability of using a Walking Meeting (WaM) protocol to increase the level of work-related physical activity among a group of sedentary white-collar workers.
  
  
  
  White-collar workers at a large university were invited to participate in a newly developed WaM protocol. Workers who conducted weekly meetings in groups of 2 or 3 individuals were recruited for the pilot study (n = 18) that took place from January 2015 to August 2015. Seventeen participants wore an accelerometer to measure physical activity levels during 3 consecutive weeks (first week baseline, followed by 2 weeks of organized WaMs) and participated in focus groups conducted during week 3 to document experiences with the WaM protocol.
  
  
  
  The WaM protocol met study criteria on feasibility, implementation, and acceptability among study participants. The average number of minutes (standard deviation) participants engaged in combined work-related moderate/vigorous physical activity per week during the 3 weeks increased from an average of 107 (55) minutes during the baseline week to 114 (67) minutes at week 2 and to 117 (65) minutes at week 3.
  
  
  
  White- collar workers were supportive of transforming regular seated meetings into walking meetings and increased their work-related physical activity levels.
authors.affiliation: Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Hannah E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Kling
authors.affiliation: Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Sarah E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Messiah
authors.affiliation: Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida.
authors.forename: Kristopher L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Arheart
authors.affiliation: Western Oregon University, Monmouth, Oregon.
authors.forename: Debi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brannan
authors.affiliation: Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami, 1120 NW 14th St, 10th Floor (R-669), Clinical Research Building, Rm 1025, Miami, Florida 33136. Email: acaban@med.miami.edu.
authors.forename: Alberto J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Caban-Martinez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida; D017144:Focus Groups; D006126:Group Processes; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014495:Universities; D016138:Walking; D017132:Workplace