HOW MANY STEPS - DO THEY COUNT?

Experiments on Pedometer Use

Eija Koskivaara

, Leena Haanpää

, Harri Helajärvi

, Raija Laukkanen

and Olli J. Heinonen

Information Systems Science, University of Turku, 200014, Turku, Finland

Turku Institute for Child and Youth Research, University of Turku, 200014, Turku, Finland

Paavo Nurmi Centre and Department of Health and Physical Activity, University of Turku, 200014, Turku, Finland

Polar Electro Oy, Professorintie 5, FIN-90440 Kempele and Department of Health Science,

University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

Keywords: Physical Activity, Pedometer, End-user Experience.

Abstract: Physical inactivity is the fourth highest risk for mortality globally. One of the main drivers for physical

activity (PA) in the future could be information and communication technology (ICT) gadgets and services

that support active way of living. This paper focuses on how pedometer use supports PA and the end-user

experience of the device. 26 subjects took part in a five-month study. Data was collected with a semi-

structured questionnaire from individuals using pedometers and reporting their daily steps. The participants

increased their PA during the project and most of them wanted to continue with the more active lifestyle.

1 INTRODUCTION

Technology, urbanization, increasingly sedentary

work environments and automobile-focused

community design have significantly reduced daily

physical activity (PA). Obesity, type II diabetes,

cardiovascular diseases and sedentary way of living

are rapidly increasing epidemics in the western

world. They challenge the health and well-being of

modern society. Sedentary and unfit way of living

increases numerous chronic diseases and decreases

longevity (Blair and Haskell 2006). Physical

inactivity is globally the fourth highest risk for

mortality (WHO 2009). PA is known to improve

health and is extremely effective in preventing and

treating lifestyle related diseases at all ages (The

Toronto Charter for Physical Activity 2010).

PA has been promoted by recommendations

which vary from country to country. The

recommendations for youth, adults and older adults

in the USA are probably the best known (PA USA

2008). The Finnish recommendations for PA are in

line with these. For substantial health benefits, adults

should accumulate at least two and a half hours of

moderate-intensity exercise, or one hour and fifteen

minutes vigorous PA, weekly. One bout of aerobic

PA should last at least 10-15 minutes, and the

activity should be spread throughout the week.

Adults should also do muscle-strengthening

activities (8 to 10 exercises with 8 to 12 repetitions

of each) twice a week.

The Toronto meeting for PA addressed

technology as one of the reasons for sedentary

behaviour. However, ICT applications have

expanded from automating to accompanying,

entertaining and fantasizing ones (Iivari 2007),

activity monitors and sport games as examples. This

paper focuses on how pedometer use supports PA,

and what the end-user experience of the device is.

2 ICT ADAPTION AND

PEDOMETER FOR PA

Technology acceptance and the intention to use

information systems have been widely studied since

the technology acceptance model (TAM) was

published (Davis 1989). Usefulness and ease of use

are key factors in technology acceptance. User

acceptance of IT has been thoroughly studied in

UTAUT-model (Unified Theory of Acceptance and

Use of Technology) (Venkatesh et al. 2003).

Performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social

influence, and facilitating conditions are direct

determinants of usage intention and behaviour.

Gender, age, experience, and voluntariness of use

589

Koskivaara E., Haanpää L., Helajärjvi H., Laukkanen R. and Heinonen O..

HOW MANY STEPS - DO THEY COUNT? - Experiments on Pedometer Use.

DOI: 10.5220/0003928605890592

In Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Web Information Systems and Technologies (WEBIST-2012), pages 589-592

ISBN: 978-989-8565-08-2

 2012 SCITEPRESS (Science and Technology Publications, Lda.)

moderate the impact of the four key constructs on

usage intention and behaviour (Venkatesh et al.

2003). DeLone and McLean (1992) argue that an

information system is not successful, if it is not used

by its intended users. Indeed, there is a need for

more parsimony in TAM models and meta-analysis

(Burton-Jones and Straub 2007).

Traditional research of the individual use of IT

applications has taken place at work (e.g. Davis

1989; DeLone and McLean 1992; Venkatesh et al.

2003; Burton-Jones and Straub 2006). However, IT

applications are increasingly used outside of work.

This is true especially with the ICT services and

gadgets for PA. Their determinants of use may be

different from those supporting work or business

processes. If an application or service is not used to

support business activity, measures such as

perceived usefulness (Davis 1989) and performance

expectancy (Venkatesh et al. 2003) may not be

directly applicable. As knowing, identifying,

contacting, sampling, involving and representing

users is becoming more complicated, it is vital to

understand them thoroughly when developing new

IT applications and services (Iivari et al. 2010).

PA promoters and PA related ICT gadget and

service developers face a challenge as end-users

have become more heterogeneous, complex and

diverse. The same service or gadgets may be used by

an IT professional, an average middle-aged

layperson, a teenager nerd, or a granny. How to

make their adaption and use attractive in the PA

domain?

A pedometer is a usually portable and electronic

or electromechanical step counting device. It counts

each step by movement detection. More advanced

pedometers can also estimate e.g. walking distance

and burned daily calories. Hatano (1993) was the

first person to introduce technology into PA in the

format of a portable motion sensor (pedometers).

The device was commercialized in Japan in 1965

under the name of mampo-kei (ten-thousand-step

meter). The target of 10,000 daily steps is today

universally accepted, although more detailed daily

steps activity levels have also been identified (e.g.

Tudor-Locke and Bassett 2004). Pedometers have

been used to evaluate the daily activity (e.g.

Hirvensalo et al. 2010). The advantage of pedometer

is their low cost and easy use. Pedometers can

motivate subjects willing to increase PA. The

general goal of 10,000 daily steps has often been

used for target settings. Tudor-Locke and Bassett

(2004) classified the number of daily steps for PA as

follows:

• < 5,000: physical inactivity

• 5,000-7,499; normal daily activity

• 7,500-9,999; somewhat physically active

• 10,000-12,000: physically active way of

living

• >12,500: physically highly active.

The daily steps for older adults (50–94 years) range

from 2,000–9,000 (Tudor-Locke et al. 2009). Males

generally take more steps than females. Based on

these results a concept of age-related

recommendation for daily steps has been proposed.

The daily steps taken by Finnish adults aged 30-

45 years vary between 4,800-10,300. In contrast to

the Americans, Finnish females took more steps than

males. Finns reportedly take fewer steps daily than

other Europeans (Hirvensalo et al. 2010). This may

be due to seasonal variation of data collection or

other methodological reasons.

Most studies have focused on determining daily

steps in relation to different disease risk factors, or

diseases. More experience is needed with ICT

gadget use in working-aged population. This 5-

month study seeks further evidence on the role of

pedometers in increasing PA. It also collects user-

experience for the device.

3 RESEARCH DESIGN

Subjects were recruited at two sports clubs with an

open e-mail invitation in October 2010. The

participation was offered to all club members.

Altogether 36 persons registered for this study.

Initially, the subjects were trained to use the

pedometer and the sheet used to report the daily

steps. The subjects reported their daily mean, weekly

mean, and weekend mean steps. In addition, change

of weekly total steps as well as monthly mean,

maximal daily steps and the cumulative number of

steps were collected. High intensity sports and

muscle-training were also reported. During the

study, the subjects received three motivational e-

mails to support their PA.

The data collection lasted 5 months (22 weeks)

from November to April. Also a semi-structured,

self-reporting questionnaire on pedometer use was

used. The questionnaire was designed by a team of

experts in PA, sports and exercise medicine, and

information systems. At the end of the study subjects

received a link to a web-based questionnaire by e-

mail.

4 RESULTS

Twenty-six (26) subjects replied to the web-

WEBIST2012-8thInternationalConferenceonWebInformationSystemsandTechnologies

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questionnaire and 24 subjects returned the step

sheet. Twenty (20) of the subjects were females and

six (6) males. Five (5) were born in the late 40’s or

50’s (aged 59-72 years), 12 were born in the 60’s

(aged 40-50 years), four (4) in the 70’s (aged 30-40

years) and four (4) in the 90’s (10-20 years). On

average the subjects reported their step data for a

period of 21 weeks (median 19 weeks, range 6-22

weeks). The subjects were experienced pedometer

users, the mean experience being 3.5 years (range 5

months to 10 years and 6 months). Eighteen (18) had

their own pedometers and eight (8) had a borrowed

one. All 26 subjects considered the use of pedometer

easy.

Seventeen (17) used computers to fill in the step

sheet, and 6 did it manually. Seven (7) filled the

sheet daily, 12 did it once a week. Twelve (12) used

their own computer and four used a work-site

computer.

The motives (mean) for taking part in the study

were as follows (scores: 1 = strongly agree, 2 =

agree, 3 = not agree/not disagree, 4 = disagree, 5 =

strongly disagree) *:

1. I wanted to know the number of my daily steps

(2.1).

2. I wanted to become physically more fit for the

summer (2.4).

3. I want to lose some body weight (2.6).

The project increased the subjects PA (Tables 1

and 2).

Table 1: Reported moderate-intensity PA before and

during the study.

PA (30 min moderate-intensity) before during

PA < once a month 2 1

once a month <PA< once a week 5 3

1-2 times weekly 12 5

3-4 times weekly 6 11

5 or more times weekly 1 6

Table 2: Reported vigorous PA before and during the

study.

PA (20 min vigorous) before during

PA < once a month 5 2

once a month <PA<once a week 5 3

1-2 times weekly 10 5

3-4 times weekly 4 11

5 or more times weekly 1 1

The participants followed mainly the daily steps

as well as the total weekly steps and the change. The

participants reported that the project affected the

most the following*:

1. I am physically more active (2.1).

2. The study has activated me (2.5).

3. I am physically more fit (2.7).

The use of pedometer was classified as follows*:

1. The pedometer was easy to use (1.3).

2. The use of pedometer did not require any

special effort (1.4).

3. The pedometer was useful (2.0).

The use of the step table was classified as follows*:

1. The use of the step-table did not require any

special effort (1.6).

2. The step-table was easy to use (1.2).

3. The step-table was useful (2.4).

The reported step numbers are reported in Table 3.

Table 3: Steps taken during the 22-week project.

Step category Mean Median Range

Mon-Fri 7929 7540 5248-17195

Sat-Sun 7887 7788 4624-17867

Nov 7217 7135 4480-18140

Dec 6712 6331 3966-14249

Jan 7957 7179 3425-19729

Feb 7427 6924 3245-15335

March 7617 7407 4136-18712

Daily mean 8030 7781 5424-17382

Daily median 7395 6958 4495-17046

Daily max 21227 19518 9888-58825

Table 4 illustrates the previous user experience

for different ICT gadgets and services. Altogether 75

% of the subjects reported experience with more

than one device or service. The majority were

unsatisfied with ICT gadgets that had not worked

well or were complicated to use. The gadgets that

had been received as a gift were often not used.

Table 4: User experience of previous PA related ICT

gadgets or services.

ICT gadget / service # of subjects

pedometer 17

heart rate monitor 11

mp3 player / radio 8

PA websites 3

sport videos / TV 3

gaming consoles 2

Table 5 illustrates from where subjects would

prefer to get feedback for their PA. Health care and

sports/PA professionals, and family members and

friends were preferred.

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Table 5: Favourite feedback providers.

Feedback provider # of subjects

• sports / PA instructors

• health care professionals

• family member

• friends

• sports clubs

• personal trainer

• employer

The majority wished for personal feedback (15

subjects). Nine (9) would like to receive feedback

via e-mail and three (3) with a text-message.

5 CONCLUSIONS

Twenty-six individuals completed this 5-month

pedometer study. The subjects reported an increase

in their PA during the study (especially females).

Most reported also an intention to continue with a

more active lifestyle in the future.

The step trend during the study was pretty stable.

Based on the median number of steps the subjects

were normal physically active.

The participants felt that the pedometer was easy

to use and useful in supporting PA. Most of the

subjects had experience of more than one PA related

ICT device or service, and they had been unsatisfied

with ICT gadgets that had not worked well or had

been complicated to use. The gadgets that had been

received as a gift were not used.

Professionals, and friends and family were

considered the most important sources of feedback

and support.

Based on this study, ICT gadgets that are easy to

use and that can be combined together with social

and professional support, provide the best positive

impact on PA performed by individuals. PA increase

is important for an individual, but also for overall

public health. New, innovative approaches and tools

to reshape our inactive lifestyle are needed.

We propose development of individually tailored

PA programs, and advising and monitoring

according to mass-customisation models for public

health and PA promoters. Studies of the importance

of family and friends in ICT gadget and service

adaption for PA should be considered. Use and

development of social media to support positive

attitude with reliable information to health and PA

should also be evaluated.

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