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Abstract

Background: Americans are exercising less and working more. We developed an eight-week Wellness Perception Pilot program to demonstrate the feasibility of using activity trackers in the workplace to establish proof of concept and inform future largescale wellness initiatives and to assess the perceived impact on health and wellness of using activity trackers. Methods: The pilot served 69 participants from several offices throughout the NSLIJ health system. The Fitbit device was chosen to track all participants. A minimum threshold of 35,000 steps/week was set for all participants. During this time, participant�s steps and distance were tracked and were involved in bi-weekly conference calls to share best practices and how to overcome challenges. Utilizing pre- and post-Pilot surveys (via Survey Monkey) we captured participants� familiarity with and experience using a fitness tracking device as well as their knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes about health and wellness. Results: At the conclusion of the pilot, 51 (75%) participants were still tracking activity. A total of 22,376,234 steps (10,341 miles) were taken, 75% of participants met the minimum goal of 5k steps/day (35k/week). Participants reported improved overall personal health (75%), increase motivation to be active (94%), increased activity level (92%), and made it easier to be more active (86%). 22% of participants reported losing 1-5lbs, 4% lost 6-10lbs and 10% lost 10+ lbs. At week 12, 67% were still engaged with the program and tracking at week 16, 58% of the participants were still tracking. Conclusions: We walked a lot, lost weight, and got healthier together.

Biography

Email: RGraham@NSHS.edu