Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 22, 2026
Walk with Me Hybrid Virtual/In-Person Walking for Older Adults with Neurodegenerative Disease
Published on: June 16, 2023
Pedometer-Based Behavioral Change Program Can Improve Dependency in Sedentary Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled
M Yamada1, S Mori, S Nishiguchi
1Minoru Yamada, Human Health Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 53 Kawahara-cho, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan, Tel.: +81-75-751-3964, Fax: +81-75-751-3909,
Background:
Recent studies suggested that pedometer-based walking programs are applicable to older adults.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of pedometer in sedentary older adults to improve physical activity, fear of falling, physical performance, and leg muscle mass.
Design:
This was a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT).
Setting And Participants:
Eighty-seven community dwelling sedentary older adults living in Japan.
Intervention:
The intervention group (n=43) received a pedometer-based behavioural change program for 6 months, while the control group (n=44) did not. The participants in the intervention group were instructed to increase their mean daily steps by 10% each month. Thus, at the end of 6 months, participants in the intervention group were expected to have 77 % more daily steps than their baseline step counts. Written activity logs were monthly averaged to determine whether the participants were achieving their goal.
Measurements:
Outcome measures were physical activity, fear of falling, physical performances, and leg muscle mass.
Results:
In this 6-month trial 40 older adults (93%) completed the pedometer protocol with good adherence. In the intervention group, average daily steps were increased by 83.4% (from 20311323 to 3726 1607) during the study period, but not in the control group (from 20471698 to 22671837). The pedometer-based behavioral change program was more effective to improve their physical activity, fear of falling, locomotive function, and leg muscle mass than control (P<0.05).
Conclusion:
These results suggested that the pedometer-based behavioral change program can effectively improve the physical activity, fear of falling, physical performance, and leg muscle mass in sedentary older adults.
