Small Steps are Easier Together: Increasing walking steps using web-based reporting and individual goal setting at work

Weight gain and obesity are modifiable breast cancer risk factors affecting large numbers of women. �Small Steps are Easier Together� is an environmental intervention to increase employee walking steps at diverse small worksites. Ten small worksites in rural communities used a worksite environmental needs assessment to identify, select, and adapt strategies to increase walking steps by 2000 over individual baseline 3 or more days per week. Daily steps (measured by pedometer) were reported weekly on the project web site. Pre-and post-intervention questionnaires evaluated attitudinal changes. The 221 study participants were primarily white women with a mean age of 45 years and self-reported mean BMI of 28. 43% of participants met the walking goal. The proportion meeting walking goals increased from 38% to 65% over 10 weeks with the greatest relative step increase by those who walked least at baseline. Reported walking steps were significantly less on weekends compared to weekdays. Challenges to self-efficacy remained with participants being significantly (p=<.05) more likely at post- than pre-intervention to agree �it is hard to get enough exercise at my workplace;� and less likely to feel sure I can: �get more physical activity by increasing my daily walking steps at work;� or �improve the environment for exercise at my workplace.� 57% �shared ideas about walking with my family,� and 30% agreed �My family is walking more.� Site-specific changes in physical activity environments can help workers increase walking steps, but offer challenges in terms of workers feelings of efficacy to change the worksite environment.