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Twelve month impact of the Just Walk It program on physical activity levels
Author(s) -
Foreman Rachelle,
Uffelen Jannique G.Z.,
Brown Wendy J.
Publication year - 2012
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/he12101
Subject(s) - population health , physical activity , health economics , public health , gerontology , medicine , environmental health , physical therapy , nursing
Issue addressed There is limited evaluation on the impact of community‐based walking groups on physical activity (PA). This study examined the amount of walking and total PA minutes when adults joined the Just Walk It (JWI) program in Queensland, and changes over time. Methods All adult participants (n=1258) were sent a survey on registration with the JWI program between April 2002 and December 2003, and after 6 and 12 months. Outcomes included self‐reported minutes of walking and total PA in the past week and the proportion meeting PA recommendations. Results Of the 1,258 registrants, 601 returned the 12‐month survey; 423 of these confirmed they still participated. At baseline, 36 (8.5%) of these were inactive, 280 (66.2%) were insufficiently active to meet PA recommendations and 107 (25.3%) met PA recommendations. Among these groups, the largest 12‐month increases in walking and total PA were in participants who were inactive (177 minutes, 95% CI 144–210, p<0.001 and 233 minutes, 95% CI 169–297, p<0.001, respectively) and in participants who were insufficiently active (63 minutes, 95% CI 39–86, p<0.001 and 122 minutes, 95% CI 81–162, p<0.001, respectively). Walking minutes increased more for men (n=92) [100 minutes, 95% CI 51–150] than for women (n=331) [52 minutes, 95% CI 32–72, p=0.044], as did total PA minutes (158 minutes, 95% CI 61–247 compared to 67 minutes, 95% CI 31–103, p=0.038). Furthermore, compared with participants aged 18–44 years (n=41) [‐12 minutes, 95% CI −75–50] and 65 and older (n=183) [57 minutes, 95% CI 27–87], walking increased more in those aged 45–64 years (n=199) [83 minutes, 95% CI 56–110, p=0.018). Conclusions Participation in a community‐based walking group for 12 months increased both walking and total PA, especially in men, mid‐aged participants and those who were inactive or insufficiently active at registration. So what? At a population level, most benefit can be gained by getting people who are inactive or insufficiently active to become moderately active. Community‐based walking programs can help achieve this.

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