Self-Selected Walking Cadence after 16-Week Light-Intensity Physical Activity Intervention for Older Cancer Survivors

In this secondary analysis of a light-intensity physical activity intervention, we hypothesized that older cancer survivors would self-select a faster walking cadence to meet their daily step goals. Average steps/day and free-living walking cadence were measured in 41 participants (age 69 ± 3.1 years) with an ActivPAL monitor worn 7 days pre- and post-intervention. Besides peak and average walking cadence, stepping patterns associated with ambulatory intensity were sorted in cadence bands of 20 steps/min from 40−59 (incidental movement) to ≥120 steps/min (fast locomotor movement). Compared to the waitlist Control group (n = 17), the Intervention group (n = 24) increased their peak 30-min cadence (4.3 vs. 1.9 steps/minute; p = 0.03), average 10-min cadence (4.1 vs. −6.6 steps/minute; p = 0.04), and average 30-min cadence (5.7 vs. −0.8 steps/minute, p = 0.03). Steps taken in cadence bands denoting moderate-intensity physical activity (100−119 steps/min) increased by 478 (interquartile range (IQR): −121 to 1844) compared to decreasing by 92 (IQR: −510 to 181) steps/day for the intervention and Control groups, respectively (p < 0.01). Evaluation of free-living walking cadence and patterns of ambulatory behavior can inform future interventions targeting behavior change, especially in those populations most at risk for reduced physical activity and vulnerable to mobility deficits and loss of independence.

Volume and Intensity of Stepping Activity and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in a Multi-ethnic Asian Population

The health benefits of objectively measured physical activity volume versus intensity have rarely been studied, particularly in non-western populations. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between cardiometabolic risk factors and stepping activity including; volume (step count), intensity (cadence) or inactivity (zero-steps/minute/day), in a multi-ethnic Asian population. Participants clinical data was collected at baseline and their physical activity was monitored for seven days, using an accelerometer (Actigraph GT3X+) in 2016. Tertiles (low, moderate, high) of the mean daily step count, peak one-minute, 30-min, 60-min cadences and time/day spent at zero-steps/minute were calculated. Adjusted linear regressions explored the association between stepping activity tertiles and cardiometabolic risk factors. A total of 635 participants (41% male, 67% Chinese, mean age 48.4 years) were included in the analyses. The mean daily step count was 7605 (median daily step count 7310) and 7.8 h of awake time per day were spent inactive (zero-steps/minute). A greater number of associations were found for step intensity than volume. Higher step intensity was associated with reduced body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressures and higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Future health promotion initiatives should consider the greater role of step intensity to reduce cardiometabolic risk.