# Do leaders walk the extra mile? The contribution of personal and work-related factors on daily step count increase in a university team step challenge

## TL;DR

A university team step challenge increased daily steps short-term, but the effect faded, with leaders walking more but not influencing their teams.

## Contribution

The study reveals that leadership roles and work-related factors influence step count increases during workplace interventions.

## Key findings

- The step challenge increased daily steps by 1,700 on average during the intervention.
- Leaders showed greater step count improvements, but team performance was not significantly affected by leadership presence.
- Work location and commute mode correlated with step counts but did not affect the challenge's overall effectiveness.

## Abstract

Sedentary work environments contribute to low physical activity (PA) levels, which are associated with adverse health and productivity outcomes. Workplace interventions such as step challenges offer a promising strategy to promote PA.

This study investigates the effects of a six-week, team-based step contest conducted at a German university and examines personal and work-related factors including the role of leaders influencing PA.

A one-group pre-post design was used to assess daily step counts of 331 participants across 44 self-formed teams during baseline, intervention and follow-up periods. Step data were collected via a mobile app, and a survey captured various demographic, work-related and intervention-related factors.

The step challenge significantly increased daily step counts by 1,700 on average compared to baseline. However, this increase was not sustained during follow-up. Males and older participants exhibited greater improvements. Notable, individuals in leadership positions showed a relatively greater increase in step counts during the intervention. However, the presence of a leader within a team did not significantly impact team colleagues’ performance. Other work-related factors such as work location and commute mode correlated with participants’ step counts but did not impact the step challenge’s effectiveness.

Our findings suggest that team-based workplace interventions can effectively boost short-term PA but sustaining these improvements remains challenging and requires ongoing actions. Further, it is essential to take personal and work-related factors including the role of leaders into account to develop targeted strategies that enhance PA. Tailored strategies and organizational support are needed to promote long-term engagement. These insights may inform future workplace health initiatives aiming for sustainable impact.