The association between the Yamax Step Counter and the College Alumnus Quesionnaire

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the association between an electronic pedometer and a physical activity questionniare. Additionally, we sought to examine the percent agreement between two methods of classifying inactive and active individuals. It was hypothesized that individuals who report an energy expenditure greater than 2,000 kilocalories per week on a physical activity questionnaire would take more than 10,000 steps per day as measured by an electronic pedometer. Sixty male subjects between the ages of 19 and 74 years old participated in this study. In order to participate, participants had to be free from any disability preventing him from being ambulatory. Subjects were asked to fill out the College Alumni Questionnaire, which inquired about past and present health and family history, and current physical activity participation. From this questionnaire, a physical activity index was estimated to provide an estimate of weekly energy expenditure. Once the questionnaire was completed, subjects were given a Yamax Digi-Walker SW 200 pedometer. They were instructed to begin wearing the pedometer the next morning, and to wear it for seven consecutive days. Step counts for the seven days were summed and divided by seven to obtain an average step count. Chi-square coefficient of association and a phi coefficient of association were used to determine the relationship and the strength of the relationship between the two thresholds. Results indicated that there was a significant relationship between the two pedometer and questionnaire ( x 2 = 24.76, p < 0.0001 and = 0.64). There was an 80% agreement between the two methods of classifying people according to active and inactive people. This suggests that the 10,000 step goal is an acceptable recommendation for most individuals.