Daily walking activity among male office workers in a rural town in northern Japan

To investigate the level of walking activity among residents of the Tohoku district in northern Japan, where no widespread public transport system has been developed, winter is severe. The participants were 50 town hall employees with an average age of 43.6+/-10.8 (SD) years. The walking activity of each participant was assessed using a pedometer for one week in summer and one week in winter. The participants' lifestyles, including their commuting methods, were assessed using a questionnaire. Forty-six participants (92%) usually commute to work by private car. The average numbers of steps/day on workdays and holidays were, in summer, 6,560+/-2,600 and 7,016+/-4,679, respectively, and, in winter, 5,236+/-2,253 and 4,770+/-3,039; these numbers were somewhat lower than those recorded in previous reports. We observed a significant reduction in walking during winter (F=19.016, p=0.0001), but no significant differences between workdays and holidays (F=0.001, p=0.966). A significant correlation between BMI and steps/day (r=-0.420, p<0.01) was obtained on workdays in winter. The unexpectedly low level of these participants' physical activity, especially in winter, is probably due to the fact that most of them commute by private car, which is likely a cause of the high incidence of obesity in this district. In addition, a seasonal effect should also be considered when physical activity is assessed, especially in cold climates.