BACKGROUND: The U.S. Surgeon General advocates the accumulation of moderate-intensity activity throughout the day to improve health. OBJECTIVES: To test the effectiveness of signs to encourage use of stairs instead of escalators. DESIGN: Community intervention. SETTING: Shopping center. PARTICIPANTS: 17901 shoppers. INTERVENTION: Signs promoting the health and weight-control benefits of stair use were placed beside escalators with adjacent stairs. MEASUREMENTS: The sex, age, race, weight classification, and use of stairs were observed. RESULTS: Overall, stair use increased from 4.8% to 6.9% and 7.2% with the health and weight-control signs, respectively. Younger persons increase their stair use from 4.6% to 6.0% with the health sign and 6.1% with the weight-control sign. Older persons almost doubled their stair use from 5.1% to 8.1% with the health sign and increased use to 8.7% with the weight-control sign. Differential use of stairs was observed between ethnic groups. Among white persons, stair use increased from 5.1% to 7.5 and 7.8% with the health sign and weight-control signs. Among black persons, stair use decreased from 4.1% to 3.4% with the health sign and increased to 5.0% with the weight-control sign. At baseline, lean persons used the stairs more often than overweight persons (5.4% and 3.8%, respectively). The health sign increased stair use to 7.2% among normal-weight persons and 6.3% among overweight persons; the weight-control sign prompted stair use to increase to 6.9% among persons of normal weight and to 7.6% among overweight persons. CONCLUSIONS: Simple, inexpensive interventions can increase physical activity. Research is needed to identify effective motivators to promote activity among black persons.
BACKGROUND: The U.S. Surgeon General advocates the accumulation of moderate-intensity activity throughout the day to improve health. OBJECTIVES: To test the effectiveness of signs to encourage use of stairs instead of escalators. DESIGN: Community intervention. SETTING: Shopping center. PARTICIPANTS: 17901 shoppers. INTERVENTION: Signs promoting the health and weight-control benefits of stair use were placed beside escalators with adjacent stairs. MEASUREMENTS: The sex, age, race, weight classification, and use of stairs were observed. RESULTS: Overall, stair use increased from 4.8% to 6.9% and 7.2% with the health and weight-control signs, respectively. Younger persons increase their stair use from 4.6% to 6.0% with the health sign and 6.1% with the weight-control sign. Older persons almost doubled their stair use from 5.1% to 8.1% with the health sign and increased use to 8.7% with the weight-control sign. Differential use of stairs was observed between ethnic groups. Among white persons, stair use increased from 5.1% to 7.5 and 7.8% with the health sign and weight-control signs. Among black persons, stair use decreased from 4.1% to 3.4% with the health sign and increased to 5.0% with the weight-control sign. At baseline, lean persons used the stairs more often than overweight persons (5.4% and 3.8%, respectively). The health sign increased stair use to 7.2% among normal-weight persons and 6.3% among overweight persons; the weight-control sign prompted stair use to increase to 6.9% among persons of normal weight and to 7.6% among overweight persons. CONCLUSIONS: Simple, inexpensive interventions can increase physical activity. Research is needed to identify effective motivators to promote activity among black persons.
Authors: Julie B Wang; Lisa A Cadmus-Bertram; Loki Natarajan; Martha M White; Hala Madanat; Jeanne F Nichols; Guadalupe X Ayala; John P Pierce Journal: Telemed J E Health Date: 2015-06-02 Impact factor: 3.536
Authors: David M Dejoy; Mark G Wilson; Ron Z Goetzel; Ronald J Ozminkowski; Shaohung Wang; Kristin M Baker; Heather M Bowen; Karen J Tully Journal: J Occup Environ Med Date: 2008-02 Impact factor: 2.162
Authors: Dariush Mozaffarian; Ashkan Afshin; Neal L Benowitz; Vera Bittner; Stephen R Daniels; Harold A Franch; David R Jacobs; William E Kraus; Penny M Kris-Etherton; Debra A Krummel; Barry M Popkin; Laurie P Whitsel; Neil A Zakai Journal: Circulation Date: 2012-08-20 Impact factor: 29.690
Authors: Mark G Wilson; Ron Z Goetzel; Ronald J Ozminkowski; Dave M DeJoy; Lindsay Della; Enid Chung Roemer; Jennifer Schneider; Karen J Tully; John M White; Catherine M Baase Journal: Obesity (Silver Spring) Date: 2007-11 Impact factor: 5.002