A Matter of Health: Using Pedometers to Increase the Physical Activity of Older Adults

This article provides an evaluation and program description of a pedometer-based physical activity program for older adults, "A Matter of Health Walking Program."Goal setting, activity selection, self-monitoring and wearing a pedometer are vital elements of the program. Seventy-six participants (66 females, 10 males, 60-90 years old) completed the 4-month program. A paired-samples t-test was used to determine changes in step scores from baseline to post-program. Spearman rank order correlations were used to determine relationships among the variables. There was a significant increase in steps (p <.01) from baseline (M = 4041, SD = 2824) to month 4 (M = 5559, SD = 3866) for the group as a whole, a 37.6% (1518 steps) improvement. Age group was negatively correlated with baseline steps (r = -.425, p <.01) and steps at month 4 (r = -.525, p <.01). This evaluation provides evidence of the program's effectiveness in increasing participants' daily physical activity. (C) 2005 by TheHaworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.