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Interventions to promote walking: systematic review.

David Ogilvie¹, Charles E Foster, Helen Rothnie

¹Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow G12 8RZ.

BMJ (Clinical Research Ed.)

|June 2, 2007

Summary

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Targeted interventions can increase walking by 30-60 minutes weekly, particularly for sedentary individuals. While short-term efficacy is shown, long-term effectiveness and population health benefits require further investigation.

Area of Science:

Public Health
Behavioral Science
Exercise Science

Background:

Promoting physical activity, specifically walking, is crucial for public health.
Understanding effective interventions for increasing walking behavior is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

To systematically review interventions aimed at increasing walking in individuals and populations.
To assess the effects of these interventions on walking behavior and related health outcomes.

Main Methods:

A systematic review of published and unpublished reports.
Inclusion of 19 randomized controlled trials and 29 non-randomized controlled studies.
Comprehensive search across 25 electronic databases, websites, reference lists, and expert consultation.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

Tailored interventions at individual (e.g., brief advice, pedometers) and household levels showed promise in increasing walking.
Sustainability, generalizability, and clinical benefits of many interventions remain uncertain.
Evidence for population-level interventions (workplaces, schools, communities) was often based on limited studies.

Conclusions:

Successful interventions can boost walking by 30-60 minutes per week in targeted groups, primarily in the short term.
Current research often demonstrates efficacy rather than real-world effectiveness for population health.
Walking promotion interventions hold potential for increasing activity levels among the most sedentary populations.