Strengths and limitations
A strength of this randomised-controlled study is that the intervention was easy to apply, did not add additional workload on the GP or change usual practice, patient follow-up. Also, the resources, staff, financial input, and time spent were limited. Nevertheless, this pragmatic study conducted in a primary care setting with GP investigators suggests the results are possibly transposable to regular care.In addition to the limitations inherent to this study design, other limitations existed. Blinding was not possible in the study intervention or anthropometric data collection due to the nature of these interventions. We observed a selection bias, because patients were more active than expected at baseline, and a Hawthorne effect is possible due to the non-blinded design. It was almost impossible to ensure that participants did not meet one another and discuss the study so there is the possibility that this may have occurred. It is also conceivable that patients in the control group decided to use their own pedometer thus potentially altering their physical activity levels. Furthermore, some patients may not have worn the pedometer correctly which could have minimised the results. Multiple comparisons could have enhanced alpha risk inflation. We also could assume a lack of statistical power due to the low number of included patients in the study.