BMJ  2007;334:1204 (9 June), doi:10.1136/bmj.39198.722720.BE (published 31 May 2007)

Research

Interventions to promote walking: systematic review

David Ogilvie, MRC fellow1, Charles E Foster, senior researcher2, Helen Rothnie, research associate3, Nick Cavill, research associate2, Val Hamilton, research assistant4, Claire F Fitzsimons, SPARColl project coordinator3, Nanette Mutrie, professor of exercise and sport psychology3, on behalf of the Scottish Physical Activity Research Collaboration (SPARColl)

1 Medical Research Council Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Glasgow G12 8RZ, 2 British Heart Foundation Health Promotion Research Group, University of Oxford, Oxford , 3 Department of Sport, Culture and the Arts, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, 4 Development and Alumni Office, University of Glasgow, Glasgow

Correspondence to: D Ogilvie d.ogilvie{at}msoc.mrc.gla.ac.uk

Objective To assess the effects of interventions to promote walking in individuals and populations.

Design Systematic review.

Data sources Published and unpublished reports in any language identified by searching 25 electronic databases, by searching websites, reference lists, and existing systematic reviews, and by contacting experts.

Review methods Systematic search for and appraisal of controlled before and after studies of the effects of any type of intervention on how much people walk, the distribution of effects on walking between social groups, and any associated effects on overall physical activity, fitness, risk factors for disease, health, and wellbeing.

Results We included 19 randomised controlled trials and 29 non-randomised controlled studies. Interventions tailored to people's needs, targeted at the most sedentary or at those most motivated to change, and delivered either at the level of the individual (brief advice, supported use of pedometers, telecommunications) or household (individualised marketing) or through groups, can encourage people to walk more, although the sustainability, generalisability, and clinical benefits of many of these approaches are uncertain. Evidence for the effectiveness of interventions applied to workplaces, schools, communities, or areas typically depends on isolated studies or subgroup analysis.

Conclusions The most successful interventions could increase walking among targeted participants by up to 30-60 minutes a week on average, at least in the short term. From a perspective of improving population health, much of the research currently provides evidence of efficacy rather than effectiveness. Nevertheless, interventions to promote walking could contribute substantially towards increasing the activity levels of the most sedentary.


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