Daily Step Counts from the First Thailand National Steps Challenge in 2020: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Thailand’s first national steps challenge has been implemented in 2020 with the goal to raise the level of physical activity nationwide by monitoring achievements through a smartphone application. This study examined the daily step counts of participants in the first national steps challenge. Six data points from 186,653 valid participants were retrieved and analyzed in five periods using Poisson regression. The mean daily steps peaked at 3196 in Period 1, and steadily dropped to 1205 in Period 5. The daily steps per period were analyzed using the participants’ characteristics, such as the type of participant, sex, age, body mass index, and area of residence. The overall mean daily steps of the participants meant physical activity was far below the recommended level and tended to drop in later periods. The general population achieved significantly higher mean daily steps than public health officers or village health volunteers (24.0% by multivariate analysis). Participants who were female, younger (<45 years), obese (body mass index > 30), and living in rural areas had fewer mean daily steps (13.8%, 44.3%, 12.7%, and 14.7% by multivariate analysis, respectively), with statistical significance. In the future, the national steps challenge should be continuously implemented by counting all steps throughout a day, using more strategies to draw attention and raise motivation, advocating for more participants, as well as reporting the whole day step counts instead of distance.

mHealth interventions targeting movement behaviors in Asia: A scoping review

“…Of these 17 countries/territories, eight are classified as high‐income, six are upper middle‐income, and three are lower middle‐income countries/territories. In total, 52 studies were conducted in high‐income (65.0% 54,55,57–81,90–108,113–116,129,131 ), 23 in upper middle‐ (28.7% 82–84,86–89,109–112,117–124,128,132,133 ), and five in lower middle‐income countries/territories (6.3% 51,125–127,130 ). There were no studies from low‐income countries.…”

“…Over half (43/80, 53.8% 51,55,57–60,62–66,68,71,72,74,80,83–85,87,88,91,92,94,99,106,108,111,112,117–119,122–126,129,132,133 ) of studies did not report a theoretical framework for intervention development. Of the 37 studies (46.3% 54,61,67,69,70,73,75–79,82,86,89,90,93,95–98,100–105,107,109,110,113–116,121,127,128,130,131 ) that did, social‐cognitive theory was most commonly reported (8/80, 10.0% 54,76,86,97,104,105,107,121 ).…”

“…Most (64/80, 80.0%) studies included a measure of efficacy in relation to the targeted movement behavior(s). Of the 74 physical activity interventions, self‐reported methods were most common (i.e., questionnaire and time‐use diary; 31/74, 41.9% 51,61,66,72–75,77,78,86,89,90,93–97,99,105,110,113,116–119,122,123,125,127,131,133 ), followed by device measured (i.e., pedometer, accelerometer, and smartphone app; 24/74, 32.4% 57,60,62,64,65,67,68,70,79–81,83,88,91,96,98,100,102,103,116,120,124,129,130,132 ), and some used a combination of both (6/74, 8.1% 55,58,63,112,115,121 ). There were 14 studies that did not report a specific physical activity‐related outcome measure (14/74, 18.9% 71,76,84,85,91,92,101,104,106–108,114,126,128 ).…”

“…The included studies were published between 2007 and 2021, and 87.5% (70/80) were published between 2014 and 2021 (see Figure 2). Studies were from 17 countries/territories out of a possible 55: 14 from Japan 57–70 ; 12 from Korea 54,71–81 ; nine from China 82–89 ; eight from Hong Kong 90–97 ; seven from Singapore 56,98–103 ; five from Saudi Arabia 104–108 ; four each from Iran, 109–112 Taiwan, 113–116 Malaysia, 117–120 and Thailand 121–124 ; three each from India 51,125,126 ; and one each from Bangladesh, 127 Indonesia, 128 Oman, 129 Pakistan, 130 Qatar, 131 and Turkey 132 (see Figure 3). Of these 17 countries/territories, eight are classified as high‐income, six are upper middle‐income, and three are lower middle‐income countries/territories.…”

“…The remaining studies (24/80, 30.0%) included an intervention that was personalized. Over half of these were personalized manually, most often by incorporating individualized one-on-one counseling (11/24, 45.8% 57,63,[71][72][73]75,76,107,115,119,125 ) or by prompting the participant to select their own movement behavior-related goal (3/24, 12.5% 83,96,131 120,124,129,130,132 ), and some used a combination of both (6/74, 8.1% 55,58,63,112,115,121 ). There were 14 studies that did not report a specific physical activity-related outcome measure (14/74, 18.9% 71,76,84,85,91,92,101,104,[106][107][108]114,126,128 ).…”