The Impact of Implementation Intentions in a Worksite Pedometer Challenge

The prevalence of sedentary lifestyles has led to progressively more unhealthy individuals, which contributes to an unproductive workforce. To address these issues and the related expenditures due to healthcare and lost productivity, workplace health promotion programs have acknowledged the capacity of various physical activity interventions including pedometer-based walking programs. Employing an implementation intention approach to these programs and delivering these planning messages through email has potential to strengthen health promotion programs. The purpose of this study is to determine the impact that email-delivered implementation intentions have on physical activity behaviors of participants in a worksite pedometer program. Fifty-six employees at American University who participated in a six-week pedometer challenge were part of a randomized controlled experiment in which intervention group participants received planning emails that featured implementation intentions over the course of the challenge as well as six-weeks post challenge. The results of the study demonstrated a significantly greater increase in walking among intervention group participants during the pedometer program. It was concluded that the use of implementation intention emails may increase adherence to walking in association with a worksite pedometer challenge and that health promotion practitioners should include this approach when designing programs to increase physical activity.