Promoting stair climbing: intervention effects generalize to a subsequent stair ascent

Purpose Studies report a significant increase in stair use when message prompts are introduced at the ‘point-of-choice’ between stairs and escalators. Climbing one set of stairs, however, will not confer meaningful health dividends. Therefore, this study examined whether exposure to point-of-choice prompts also encourages individuals to climb the next set of stairs that they encounter. Design Interrupted time-series design. Settings Two separate stair/escalator pairings within a UK shopping mall (the ‘intervention’ site and the ‘generalization’ site), separated by a 25m-long atrium. Subjects Ascending pedestrians (intervention site n=29,713; generalization site n=47,553). Interventions Two weeks of baseline monitoring were followed by a 13-week intervention in which banners carrying health promotion messages were introduced at the intervention site only. Measures At both sites observers inconspicuously recorded pedestrians’ method of ascent, along with their gender, age, ethnicity and baggage. Results Banners increased stair climbing at the intervention site by 161%. Results also suggest a simultaneous increase of up to 143% at the generalization site, where no prompt was in place.