Walk@Work: An automated intervention to increase walking in university employees not achieving 10,000 daily steps

Objective. This study assessed the workday step counts of lower active (b10,000 daily steps) university 22employees using an automated, web-based walking intervention (Walk@Work). 23Methods. Academic and administrative staff (n=390; 45.6±10.8 years; BMI 27.2±5.5 kg/m2; 290women) 24at five campuses (Australia [x2], Canada, Northern Ireland and the United States), were given a pedometer, 25access to the website program (2010–11) and tasked with increasing workday walking by 1000 daily steps 26above baseline, every two weeks, over a six week period. Step count changes at four weeks post intervention 27were evaluated relative to campus and baseline walking. 28Results. Across the sample, step counts significantly increased frombaseline to post-intervention (1477 daily 29steps; p=0.001). Variations in increases were evident between campuses (largest difference of 870 daily steps; 30p=0.04) and for baseline activity status. Those least active at baseline (b5000 daily steps; n=125) increased 31step counts the most (1837 daily steps; p=0.001), whereas those most active (7500–9999 daily steps; n=79) 32increased the least (929 daily steps; p=0.001). 33Conclusions. Walk@Work increased workday walking by 25% in this sample overall. Increases occurred 34through an automated program, at campuses in different countries, and were most evident for those most in 35need of intervention.