Assessment of Walking Activity Using a Pedometer and Survey in Adults with Mental Retardation

This study measured walking activity in 103 adults (65 males, 38 females) with mental retardation (MR) using two instruments. Participants wore a pedometer for seven consecutive days and were administered the NHANES III Physical Activity Survey. The mean weekly step count was 58,321 ± 26,896 and only 21.4% of the participants recorded 10,000 steps/day. There was no association between weekly step counts and walking bouts per week (r = .01) or walking min per week (r = -.01). Only 17.5% of the participants reported engaging in five bouts of MVPA per week totaling 30 min per bout. The percent agreement between participants meeting the recommended 10,000 steps/day and those meeting the recommended 30 min of MVPA five days per week was 68.9%.