The association between daily steps and health, and the mediating role of body composition: a pedometer-based, cross-sectional study in an employed South African population

Background: Walking is recognised as an easily accessible mode of physical activity and is therefore supported as a strategy to promote health and well-being. To complement walking, pedometers have been identified as a useful tool for monitoring ambulatory physical activity, typically measuring total steps/day. There is, however, little information concerning dose-response for health outcomes, in relation to intensity or duration of sustained steps. We aimed to examine this relationship, along with factors that mediate it, among employed adults. Methods: A convenience sample, recruited from work-site health risk screening (N=312, 37±9yrs), wore a pedometer for at least 3 consecutive days. Steps were classified as “aerobic” (≥100 steps/minute and ≥10 consecutive minutes) or 'non-aerobic' (<100 steps/minute and/or