Abstract P176: Pedometer Feedback - Superior for Increasing Daily Physical Activity in Cardiac Rehabilitation Patients
Introduction: Although cardiac patients obtain favorable cardiovascular outcomes and reduced risk of mortality when participating in cardiac rehabilitation (CR), it is well established that most do not typically achieve recommended amounts of daily physical activity (PA) solely through participation in CR. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relative effectiveness of three different individually tailored interventions designed to increase PA in cardiac patients attending CR. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that cardiac patients attending long-term CR who receive pedometer feedback (PF) or motivational messaging (MM) will achieve higher levels of PA than patients who receive usual care (UC) recommendations. Methods: A total of 99 (77 men and 22 women, 61.5±10.6 years, BMI 30.6 ± 5.1 kg/m2) patients entering a long-term CR program completed a 12-week PA intervention. Patients were randomized to: UC (time-based recommendation), PF, MM, or PF with individualized MM (PF+MM). Both PF groups were given a goal of increasing step counts/day by 10% of the individual’s baseline value each week. If the goal for the week was not reached, the same goal was used for the next week. PA was assessed for 7 days with Kenz Lifecorder PLUS monitors (Suzukan, Co, LTD, Nagoya, Japan) prior to beginning CR and on the 12 th week of the intervention. Criteria for acceptable PA data were daily wear time > 10 hours on a minimum of 4 days (including at least 1 weekend day) with daily PA > 1000 steps. Results: A two-way ANOVA for change in PA from baseline to 12 th week of the intervention for the 4 groups revealed a significant time and group interaction. Post-hoc testing showed significant increases for both PF and PF+MM, however, no significant change for UC or MM. Conclusion: The findings from this study demonstrate that using PF feedback is superior to the usual time-based recommendations patients are given in CR. CR programs can assist patients in increasing their daily PA by encouraging pedometer use with individualized step goals.