Activity Report: Step-Counting

Exploring Step-Counting: Data Collection and Analysis

Gwyneth Nathania Wibawa, ssw_gwyneth.wibawa@bchati.sch.id

Cita Hati Christian School West Campus

A. Background
Step counting can be a recommendable way to monitor our activity levels or physical activity. It
is important to be active as it promotes health by keeping the body both physically and mentally healthy.
Regular exercise lowers the risk of getting chronic diseases that will affect us. It also improves the mood,
boosts energy levels, and promotes better weight management. Counting steps on a daily basis can be a
simple yet effective metric to determine our activity levels. Research has found that the steps we take in a
day in relation to how healthy we are. Tracking steps can also be a way to make goals and measure our
activity levels.
Including step counting in our everyday routines can help us stay motivated to exercise, be more
active and stay in shape. By measuring our activity through utilizing step count, we can set achievable
goals and monitor our progress over time as well as finding out how many calories we burnt. This
motivates us to take charge of our health and make life improving decisions which ultimately leads to the
adoption of healthier habits and a more active lifestyle.

B. Research Goals
- Find the average number of steps in a minute. (mean, median, mode, ranges)
- Which type of data collecting diagram serves the most accurate results?

C. Methodology
1. Determine independent and dependent variables for data collection. Time, which is 1 minute per trial,
stands in as the independent variable while the number of steps taken becomes the dependent variable.
2. Obtain necessary materials such as a digital watch or pedometer to help record data.
3. Identify an open ground that provides ample space for free movement during the step count research.
4. Begin your stopwatch or physical activity monitor and walk exactly for one minute; when time is up
stop it and record your steps taken.
5. Repeat walking trials 39 times and document objectives.
6. Use these data to perform statistical computations like mean, median, mode, range etc., then, analyze
their distribution and illustrate them visually through graphs, charts among others.

D. Data Collection
Table 1.1 Data collection of step counts from trial 1 until 10

Trial 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Steps 98 102 111 109 107 97 101 100 103 108

Table 1.2 Data collection of step counts from trial 11 until 20

Trial 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Steps 116 104 112 108 103 111 102 104 97 103

Table 1.3 Data collection of step counts from trial 21 until 30

Trial 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Steps 98 105 109 103 117 106 99 106 115 107

Table 1.4 Data collection of step counts from trial 31 until 40

Trial 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40

Steps 111 121 114 119 103 107 112 99 101 113

E. Diagrams, Graphs, and Calculations

Table 2.1 Stem and Leaf diagram of raw data
Stem Leaf

9 778899

10 0112233333445

10 667778899

11 11122345

11 679

12 1

Key: 9|7 means 97 and 10|0 means 100.

Mean = Total sum of all data / Total frequency = 4261 / 40 = 106.525 = 106.5
Median = (n + 1) / 2 = (40 + 1) / 2 = 20.5 th term
20.5th term = (20th + 21th) / 2 = (106 + 106) / 2 = 106
Mode = 103 (5 frequencies)

Table 2.2 Grouped frequency table.

Grouped Data Frequency Mid data Estimated Total Steps

95 < x <= 100 7 97.5 682.5

 100 < x <=105 12 102.5 1230

105 < x <=110 9 107.5 967.5

110< x <= 115 8 112.5 900

115 < x <=120 3 117.5 352.5

120 < x <=125 1 122.5 122.5

Total Steps 4255

Diagram 1.1 Histogram of grouped datas

Mean = Total sum of all estimated total steps / Total frequency = 4255 / 40 = 106.375 = 106.4
Median = (n + 1) / 2 = (40 + 1) / 2 = 20.5 th term
20.5th term = (20th + 21th) / 2 = Group 100 < x <=105
Mode = Highest Bar = 12 = Group 100 < x <=105

Diagram 1.2 Scattered diagrams of raw data

Diagram 1.3 Box and Whisker plot diagram of data

Range = 121 - 97 = 24
Median =
½ x ( n+1) = ½ x ( 40+1) = 20.5th term
= (106+106)/2 = 106
Upper Quartile =
¾ x ( n+1) = ¾ x ( 40+1) = 30.75th term
30.75th term = (111+111)/2 = 111
Lower Quartile =
¼ x ( n+1) = ¼ x ( 40+1) = 10.25th term
10.25th term = (102+102)/2 = 102
Interquartile Range = Upper quartile - Lower Quartile = 111 - 102 = 9

F. Analysis, Discussions, and Conclusions

As shown above, we can find the mean, mode, median and ranges of the data we have collected
before and process them to achieve the greater goals. We can see and compare the difference in the
processed mean data results of table 2.1 (106.5) using raw data and table 2.2 or diagram 1.1 (106.4)
which is 0.1. Though it is very close (precise), it is still different and this is due to table 2.1 using raw data
and table 2.2 using grouped data, showing that using raw data will be more accurate. Grouped data
through histograms or line graphs can be used when the data is too varied or is in large quantities.
However, if you want to obtain the most accurate result, you can use stem and leaf diagrams as it uses raw
data and is sorted out in order, making it easier to read or understand.
On the other hand, to obtain the range, interquartile range, upper and lower quartiles, we can also
use any diagram but it has to be using raw data or ungrouped ones. This is to obtain the exact differences
of the range. If we want a clear visualization of the ranges or quartiles, it is recommended to use box and
whiskers plot diagrams like diagram 1.3 because it provides a clear visual representation of the range, and
overall summarizes the variability as well as the distribution of a dataset in large quantities. In table 3.1
below, I use the processed data from table 2.1 (stem and leaf diagram) for mean, median and mode as well
as using diagram 1.3 (box and whiskers diagram) for the range and quartiles. While diagram 1.2
(scattered diagram) shows that most of the steps per minute is around slightly less than 100 to 110, and
the probability of getting above 110 is lesser than around 100 to 110 which tells us the lesser steps, the
more probability. This means that they have a negative correlation.

Table 3.1 Final Processed data of step counting

Mean Mode Median Range Interquartile Lower Upper

Range Quartile Quartile

106.5 103 106 24 9 102 111

The information we have about my step counts per minute gives a good visualization of how
active I am. On average, I took about 106.5 steps in a minute, with most of my counts being around 103
steps (mode) which showed up the most. The median, which is the middle value, was 106. My fitness
level and health might have influenced how many steps I took. Compared to the usual range of 100 to 120
steps in a minute, my data seems normal and around the range. Out of 40 data points, only 7 were slightly
outside this range, but the difference wasn't too big, (100-97=3) and (121-120=1), so it is not a major
concern. By looking at this processed data, I can find different ways to measure my activity, like calories I
have burnt, and set goals for myself.
The difference between the most and least number of steps I took in a minute was 24 steps, which
isn't too big. This difference could be because I walked at different speeds or took larger or smaller steps.
It could also be because of the terrain I was walking on or if I got distracted during the test. Sometimes,
there were unusual values, or outliers, in the data. These could happen if I walked much faster or slower
than usual. Other than those, my interquartile range (9), and lower/upper quartiles (102 and 111) shows
the variability of speed or how big my steps are without extreme values.

G. Conclusion
In conclusion, it is found that it took around 106.5 steps per minute on average, using methods like mean,
median(106), mode (103), and range of 24. It was shown that stem and leaf diagrams were the best way to
collect data accurately, especially for raw or ungrouped data. For showing ranges and quartiles, box and
whisker plots worked well. Also, the scatter diagram showed that when people took fewer steps, there was a
higher chance I took even fewer steps, maybe because of how fast I was walking or the type of ground I was
on. Through these approximate data, we can start setting activity goals, knowing that I will take around 106.5
steps each minute.

H. References
1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6527133/
2. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm#:~:text=Being%20physically%20act
ive%20can%20improve,activity%20gain%20some%20health%20benefits.
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966636222004696#:~:text=In%20addition%2C%
20steps%2Fday%20are,for%20intervention%20and%20goal%2Dsetting.