Publication year
2015
Citation Title
Exploring the impact of a pedometer on body composition and physical fitness in a cohort of U.S. Military medical students: A pilot study.
Journal Name
Military Medicine
Journal Volume
180
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
23-25
DOI
10.7205/MILMED-D-14-00132
Summary
Pedometry data of United States medical students at a military university were utilized to examine the impact of providing pedometers on the physical fitness of medical students. Few students reported meeting their 10,000 steps a day goal. Students who met this goal improved or maintained their fitness levels.
Key Findings
Thirteen percent of the students met the daily goal of 10,000 steps.
Students who met this daily goal maintained or improved their aerobic fitness.
Fifty-three percent of those who received pedometers and 46% of those who did not either improved or maintained their fitness during the study period (these rates were not significantly different from one another).
When the students who met the daily goal were excluded, there was no difference between groups in fitness achievement over baseline.
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide Service members and their families with recreation and fitness activities
Promote physical fitness as a means of coping with the stresses of deployment for Service members and their families
Educate Service members and their families about the benefits of consistent physical activity and healthy eating
Implications for Policy Makers
Encourage the use of pedometers or other fitness trackers for Service members as a means to improve and maintain physical fitness
Support programs that encourage military families to engage in physical fitness and healthy eating
Recommend collaboration between DoD and community-based services to offer recreational activities to military families
Methods
U.S. medical students at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Services were recruited.
Forty-two percent of students were given a pedometer for the summer of their first year in medical school; other students were told to strive to accumulate a minimum of 10,000 steps per day.
Students were asked to report their step data monthly via email.
Participants completed fitness tests before and after pedometers were distributed.
Participants
One hundred fifteen medical students participated (76% male).
The majority of participants were between 21-25 years old (71%).
Thirty-seven percent of participants were Air Force, 35% Army, and 26% Navy.
Limitations
The sample was small and specialized, so findings may not generalize beyond this population.
Aerobic score was treated as a binary variable which caused much information to be lost.
Many participants reported that their pedometers did not function correctly, which may bias results.
The fitness tests between the Service branches were different and may have had different ranges of improvement.
Avenues for Future Research
Replicate these findings in a broader sample of Service members
Use mobile fitness apps daily to more accurately track participants activity
Assess other variables that may influence outcomes such as personality, history of physical fitness, and attitudes toward exercising
Focus
Multiple Branches
Target Population
Population Focus
Military Component
Abstract
Military medical professionals play a central role in preventing and treating obesity among America's warriors through training, medical care, and their personal example. Unfortunately, medical students in both undergraduate and graduate settings often experience declines in physical fitness. Pedometry has been demonstrated as one means of promoting fitness with 10,000 steps/day generally accepted as a key benchmark. With this in mind, we used pedometry as an incentive during the preclinical years to encourage students to adopt a more active lifestyle. Findings suggest that participants that consistently report meeting the 10,000 steps/day maintained or improved their aerobic fitness.
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