By mail or with a nurse, a walking plan added steps a year later
A year later, participants who received the plan in London walked over 600 extra steps per day. Nurse support had no advantage over mail.
The key idea
A complete walking plan added steps after a year, with or without a nurse; the pedometer alone was not tested.
The study, in plain language
At seven primary care centers in south London, researchers randomized households to usual care, a program sent by mail, or the same program with three nurse consultations. The program included a pedometer, a diary, and a walking progression. This allowed comparisons with usual care and between two ways of supporting the plan. An accelerometer recorded how much each person moved at three points during the year.
After a year, both program groups took more steps per day than the comparison group and accumulated more moderate-to-vigorous activity: about 33 more minutes per week with mail and 35 with nurse support. There was no difference between the two programs, and sitting time did not decrease. At three months, however, nurse support had been ahead. One limitation: only 10% of invited eligible people took part, and the trial cannot separate the contributions of the plan’s components.
What they found
- After a year, people receiving either program took about 640 to 680 more steps per day than the comparison group.
- At one year there was no difference between nurse support and mail; at three months, nurse support had been ahead.
- Both programs combined a pedometer, diary, goals, and a walking progression, so it is not known which component mattered most.
How they studied it
Households of 1,023 adults ages 45 to 75 at seven primary care centers in south London were randomized to usual care, a mail-based program, or the same program with three nurse consultations. Activity was measured with accelerometers at baseline, three months, and one year.
What the study cannot show
- Only about 10% of invited eligible people took part. The trial evaluated a package of pedometer, diary, goals, and support, so it did not isolate each component’s contribution.
Something to think about
If you have used a pedometer, what else supported you: goals, a log, or someone asking how you were doing? This study tested the package, not each part separately.
The original study
Effect of a Primary Care Walking Intervention with and without Nurse Support on Physical Activity Levels in 45- to 75-Year-Olds: The Pedometer And Consultation Evaluation (PACE-UP) Cluster Randomised Clinical Trial
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.
