Twelve-month effects of Canada on the Move: a population-wide campaign to promote pedometer use and walking

Canada on the Move is a national campaign to promote pedometer use and walking among adult Canadians. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the initiative's impact on sufficient walking, defined here as at least an hour daily in the week prior to the survey. Data were collected via the national Canadian Physical Activity Monitor's rolling monthly sample throughout 2004. Population prevalence rates of walking were compared using Bonferroni-adjusted confidence intervals. Correlates of sufficient walking were estimated using odds ratios adjusted for age, sex, income and education. Message recall and pedometer ownership were associated with increased odds of self-reported walking. There was evidence of a campaign effect on walking behavior independent of secular trends. The increased likelihood of sufficient walking suggests an ongoing role for nationally funded public awareness campaigns. The effectiveness of health promotion to increase walking may be enhanced by combining motivational health-related messages with the dissemination and adoption of an easy-to-use tool for self-monitoring purposes.