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Posters in a sample of professional worksites have no effect on objectively measured physical activity
Author(s) -
Badland Hannah M.,
Schofield Grant M.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
health promotion journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.515
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 2201-1617
pISSN - 1036-1073
DOI - 10.1071/he05078
Subject(s) - pedometer , physical activity , medicine , physical therapy , crossover study , sample (material) , alternative medicine , chemistry , chromatography , pathology , placebo
Issue addressed Whether posters promoting stair use are effective in increasing objectively measured physical activity in a sample of New Zealand professional employees. Methods Forty‐six participants (27 men and 19 women) recruited from two professional worksites wore one sealed pedometer during all waking hours (total physical activity [TPV]), and another sealed pedometer during working hours (worksite physical activity [WPV]), for three days over four separate occasions. The study protocol was a crossover design with the first worksite receiving the treatment (posters) for three weeks, followed by a sixweek washout period, then a three‐week control. The second worksite received the control prior to the treatment period. Measurements were taken at the beginning and end of each three‐week block. Results The posters were ineffective at increasing objectively measured work and total physical activity levels in this sample. Trivial (0.04) to moderate Cohen effect sizes (−0.79) were shown. When posters were visible in the worksites, mean step counts decreased (−868 steps [WPV], and −1,861 steps [TPV]). Women's step counts (−9% [WPV] and −13% [TPV]) were more negatively affected by the posters' appearance when compared with men (−2% [WPV] and −8% [TPV]). So what? Based on these results, the posters had little effect on physical activity for this sample. However, it was possible that an unknown confounding factor caused small decreases in step counts that disguised an otherwise positive result.