Research
Adherence
Walking group interventions targeting both genders are more effective at increasing physical activity than those targeting only women.
If you are organizing or joining a walking group, consider including both men and women. Mixed-gender groups may be more effective at increasing physical activity levels, possibly by attracting more male participants.
GoodQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Interventions that targeted only women were found to have smaller effect size (d = 0.18, 95%CI from 0.03 to 0.33, n = 702, k = 6, p < 0.01) than interventions that targeted both genders (d = 0.61, 95%CI from 0.35 to 0.88, n = 3870, k = 13, p < 0.0001)
Why this rating
Statistically significant difference in effect sizes between subgroups, but limited by the lack of 'men-only' studies for direct comparison.
Source
Do interventions to promote walking in groups increase physical activity? A meta-analysis
Aikaterini Kassavou et al. · International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · 2013
DOI 10.1186/1479-5868-10-18
Meta-analysis · 19 studiesCited 195×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Interventions promoting walking in groups significantly increase physical activity in adults, with a medium overall effect size (d = 0.52).Good
- Walking group interventions targeting older adults (>61 years) are more effective at increasing physical activity than those targeting younger adults (≤60 years).Good
- Walking group interventions delivered by lay people are as effective as those delivered by professionals.Good
Related findings · Adherence
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- Increasing physical activity from a sedentary lifestyle to an active one in middle adulthood significantly reduces the risk of coronary events compared to remaining sedentary.Strong
- Resistance exercise is the only intervention capable of consistently restoring muscle function and strength in sarcopenia, partially overcoming age-related anabolic resistance.Strong
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