Acta Gymnica 2016, 46(1):21-29 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2016.003

Is pedometer-determined day-of-the-week variability of step counts related to age and BMI in Czech men and women aged 50 to 70 years?

Jana Pelclová¹, Karel Frömel¹, Emil Řepka², Ladislav Bláha³, Aleš Suchomel⁴, Igor Fojtík⁵, Dana Feltlová⁶, Petr Valach⁷, Svatopluk Horák¹, Jiří Nykodým⁸

¹ Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic;

² Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic;

³ Faculty of Education, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic;

⁴ Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education, Technical University of Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic;

⁵ Pedagogical Faculty, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic;

⁶ Faculty of Education, University of Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic;

⁷ Faculty of Education, University of West Bohemia, Plzeň, Czech Republic;

⁸ Faculty of Sports Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

Background: Day-to-day walking variability appears not to be random and may fluctuate by day of week or type of day (workdays/non-workdays). The day-of-the-week variability is less clear in period of life transition between the ages of 50-70 years. Moreover, it is unclear whether the variability is related to age or BMI.

Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the weekdays-weekends patterns and the day-to-day variability in step patterns in men and women of different age and BMI groups.

Methods: During the years 2009-2012, 1,170 individuals (532 men and 638 women) aged 50-70 years participated in a seven-day monitoring using a Yamax Digiwalker SW-700 pedometer.

Results:  Using ANOVA of repeated measures, it was found that steps/day varied across the day of the week in both men and women in younger age groups (≤ 64 years) (p ≤ .04), whereas in older age group (65-70 years), no significant systematic variability by day of the week was found. Existence of variability by day of the week with significant drop in steps/day on weekend days, especially on Sunday, was confirmed in normal weight, overweight and obese Czech men and women.

Conclusion: In conclusion, this study contributes to the evidence with the findings about the existing the day-of-the-week variability of step counts per day in the population aged 50 to 64 years and about the absence of significant variability in seniors (≥ 65 years). Sunday was the least active day in different age and BMI groups aged 50 to 70 years of Czech population. Researchers and practitioners should take the results of this study into consideration when preparing for data collection of habitual physical activity in senior population and in the development of walking interventions and weight reduction programmes designed for this age group.

Keywords: adults, older adults, walking, overweight, obesity, weekdays, weekends

Received: January 5, 2016; Accepted: February 23, 2016; Prepublished online: March 9, 2016; Published: March 31, 2016  Show citation