Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #112145

Kathy Schlepp, MPH, Staci Hennings, MPH, Karen Spink, MPA, CHES, and Kendra Bigsby, MPH. Health District of Northern Larimer County, 120 Bristlecone Drive, Fort Collins, CO 80524, 9702245209, kschlepp@healthdistrict.org

Health District On the Move is an easily replicable walking program aimed at increasing physical activity among Larimer County residents by utilizing the support found in worksite settings. The program has been successful in a local community of 160,000 by enrolling over 4,000 participants from 200 organizations. The program addresses the Healthy People 2010 goal of increasing the proportion of worksites offering employer-sponsored physical activity and fitness programs. Based on the Colorado On the Move program, participants are encouraged to track daily steps using a pedometer, and increase them by making simple lifestyle physical activity changes such as taking the stairs, parking farther away, and taking short walk breaks. To start the program participants complete a pre-assessment and receive a pedometer. Participants then track their steps in an online database, receive weekly motivating emails, and earn incentives for actively participating and completing the program. An internal coordinator oversees the program in each group. A post-assessment is completed at the end of the program, and a follow-up survey is completed at 6 months. Self-report surveys show that Health District On the Move has increased the number of days of moderate activity, increased efforts to incorporate lifestyle physical activities, and resulted in positive behavioral changes. Preliminary data shows that participants who completed the program increased daily steps by 28% with 51% reaching an average of 10,000 steps per day (the original goal), and 39% improving daily steps by at least fifty percent. Final results will be available at the time of presentation.

Learning Objectives:

• Use data and lessons learned from Health District On the Move to design and implement a walking program in the workplace.
• Describe the benefits of a worksite-walking program.
• Discuss at least three strategies to encourage adherence in a worksite-walking program.

Keywords: Physical Activity, Worksite

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.