Impact of 100-day walking activity on the physical health indicators of occupational groups

Objective To evaluate the impact of a 100-day walking activity on multiple physical health indicators among an occupational population, thereby providing a scientific basis for health management and the prevention and control of chronic diseases.
Methods A prospective study involving 534 occupational participants who joined the "10,000 Steps a Day" initiative in 2024 from Xuhui District of Shanghai,was conducted. A 100-day walking activity was implemented. Physical health indicators, including body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, fat mass, muscle mass, waist circumference, and hip circumference, were measured before and after the intervention. Paired t-tests and generalized linear models were performed using SPSS 23.0 to assess the impact of average daily steps and exercise prescription completion rate on changes in health outcomes. Linear regression modeling was conducted using R 4.4.3.
Results Significant improvements were observed for physical health indicators post-intervention, in that BMI decreased by (0.60±1.36) kg∙m^-2 (P < 0.01), systolic blood pressure (SBP) decreased by (3.29±16.65) mmHg (P < 0.01), fat mass decreased by (0.66±6.17) kg (P < 0.05), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) decreased by (2.26±12.15) mmHg (P < 0.01), and muscle mass increased by (1.52±11.83) kg (P < 0.01). Correlation analyses revealed a positive association between average daily steps and BMI reduction, with the most pronounced effect observed within the range of 10 000 to 13 000 steps per day. Multivariate analyses indicated that a high prescription completion rate (≥80%) was independently associated with improved DBP (b=2.463, 95% CI: 0.28-4.65). Linear regression further demonstrated a negative correlation between average daily steps and changes in both SBP (F = 12.45, P = 0.0005) and DBP (F = 14.67, P = 0.0001). A dose-response relationship indicated that for every 8,049-step increase in average daily steps (from 6,065 to 14,114 steps), SBP decreased by an additional 2.69 mmHg (95% CI: -4.19--1.19), and DBP decreased by an additional 2.12 mmHg (95% CI: -3.21--1.03).
Conclusion The 100-day walking activity effectively improved BMI, blood pressure, and fat mass among occupational groups. An "optimal range" of 10,000-12,999 steps per day was identified, and a high prescription completion rate demonstrated an independent association with the most pronounced improvement in diastolic blood pressure. Walking provides a simple, low-cost, and sustainable health intervention strategy for occupational populations.