Health Promotion Practice Month XXXX Vol. XX, No. X, xx-xx DOI: 10.1177/1524839908330745 ©2009 Society for Public Health Education Authors’ Note: All correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed to Kathryn H. Schmitz, PhD, MPH, Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, 921 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104; e-mail: schmitz@mail.med.upenn.edu. Assessment and Outcomes of HealthPartners 10,000 Steps Program in an Academic Work Site Rebecca M. Speck, MPH Rhonda K. Hill, MPH Nico P. Pronk, PhD, MA Mark P. Becker, PhD Kathryn H. Schmitz, PhD, MPH The authors examined the feasibility, acceptability, and potential for physical activity behavior change of a 21-week, 10,000 Steps® program in an academic work site. In a pre-post, noncontrolled study design, partici- pants were supplied a pedometer, online resource, and health promotional activities. Means, medians, ranges, and frequencies of self-reported average daily steps (ADS) described physical activity behavior change. An online exit survey assessed the acceptability of the inter- vention. Of 1,322 eligible participants, 619 (47%) regis- tered; 74% of participants tracked step counts at least once, and 57 (9%) tracked them all 21 weeks. The pro- portion of cohort participants with <7,499 ADS tracking all 21 weeks was significantly less than that same cohort tracking only at baseline (p < .02). Survey results showed that 85% of the participants reported general satisfac- tion with content and navigation of the program Web site. Results suggest elements of feasibility and accept- ability but limited potential for physical activity behav- ior change. Future studies should assess preenrollment ADS and barriers to retaining participants. Keywords: work site; physical activity; health promotion > INTRODUCTION It has been reported that physical inactivity contributes to 300,000 preventable deaths a year in the United States (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services [DHHS], 1996/1999). Despite overwhelming 1 evidence of the protective health benefits of regular leisure time physical activity, the U.S. DHHS reports that two thirds of adults do not participate in regular physical activity (U.S. DHHS, 1996/1999), and at least one quarter of the American population is completely inactive (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2003; U.S. DHHS, 1996/1999). Physical activity in the United States is the first of 10 “leading indicator” areas of Healthy People 2010 (Health People 2010, 2000). Healthy People 2010 objectives include a goal to “increase the proportion of work sites offering employer- sponsored physical activity and fitness programs to 75% by 2010” (Healthy People 2010, 2000). The goal was based on 1999 national survey data released by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, indicating that 46% of work sites offered health programs to their employees (Association for Worksite Health Promotion, 1999). Well over 135 million people are employed in the United States (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 2004). On average, most American adults spend 8 hours a day at work, making the workplace a potential environment for interventions to promote healthy living. Work sites provide for the opportunity to encourage employees and their families to increase their levels of physical activity (Dishman, Oldenburg, O’Neal, & Shepard, 1998). Work site organizational structures allow for communication and coordination of health promotion efforts, including e-mail messaging and electronic newsletters, social support from management Health Promot Pract OnlineFirst, published on January 31, 2009 as doi:10.1177/1524839908330745