Association of Daily Step Count With Patient Knowledge, Step Tracking, and Physical Factors in Patients With Spine Pathology

Up to 10,000 steps per day may be associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality as well as cancer and cardiovascular disease mortality. Here, we evaluate daily step count in patients seen in spine clinic and its association with step goal knowledge, step tracking, and physical factors affecting walking. Of the 575 clinic patients, 368 met criteria and agreed to participate (mean age range 60-69 years; 52% female; 54% prior spine surgery). Of the population surveyed for actual daily steps, 55% reported <2000 and 9% reported >8000. Patients with a higher knowledge of the ideal step goal and who possessed a step counter (64%) had a higher number of actual daily steps (P <.001). The main prohibiting factor to actual walking was pain (64%). Prior spine surgery and the use of a walking assist was associated with less daily steps (P <.04, 6% reported >8000 steps; and P <.001, 0% reported >8000 steps, respectively). Patients presenting for evaluation in spine clinic underestimate the recommended number of steps taken daily to help decrease all-cause mortality, and cancer and cardiovascular disease mortality.