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Title: A short-term physical activity randomized trial in the Lower Mississippi Delta

Author
item KATZMARZYK, PETER - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item CHAMPAGNE, CATHERINE - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item TUDOR-LOCKE, CATRINE - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item BROYLES, STEPHANIE - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item HARSHA, DAVID - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item KENNEDY, BETTY - Pennington Biomedical Research Center
item JOHNSON, WILLIAM - Pennington Biomedical Research Center

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/30/2011
Publication Date: 10/25/2011
Citation: Katzmarzyk, P.T., Champagne, C., Tudor-Locke, C., Broyles, S.T., Harsha, D., Kennedy, B.M., Johnson, W.D. 2011. A short-term physical activity randomized trial in the Lower Mississippi Delta. PLoS ONE. 6(10):e26667. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0026667.

Interpretive Summary: The Lower Mississippi Delta (LMD) population in the United States is characterized by high levels of poverty, food insecurity, obesity, and related chronic diseases. There is need to identify new strategies that will enhance adherence to the healthful dietary and physical activity recommendations set forth in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans in this population. We conducted a short-term, randomized controlled trial to assess the utility of adding a pedometer to an educational intervention to increase moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in a sample from the Lower Mississippi Delta population. We determined that adding a pedometer to an educational intervention did not result in further gains in physical activity beyond the educational intervention alone. However, participants who increased the number of steps taken per day also increased their time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

Technical Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine if a short-term pedometer-based intervention results in immediate increases in time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) compared to a minimal educational intervention. A sample of 43 overweight adults 35 to 64 years of age participated in a one-week pedometer-based feasibility trial monitored by accelerometry. Participants were randomized into a one-week education-only group or a group that also wore a pedometer. Accelerometer measured MVPA was measured over 7 days at baseline and post-intervention. Minutes of MVPA increased significantly in the overall sample (p=0.02); however, the effect of adding the pedometer to the education program was not significant (p=0.89). Mean (+/- SE) MVPA increased from 12.7 +/- 2.4 min/day to 16.2 +/- 3.6 min/day in the education-only group and from 13.2 +/- 3.3 min/day to 16.3 +/- 3.9 min/day in the education + pedometer group. The correlation between change in steps/day and change in MVPA was 0.69 (p<0.0001). The results of this study suggest that the addition of a pedometer to a short-term education program does not produce added benefits with respect to increasing physical activity in the Lower Mississippi Delta.