A worksite intervention module encouraging the use of stairs: results and evaluation

Objectives: Recent recommendations suggest that health benefits can also be derived from regular daily activities of moderate intensity which accelera te breathing, such as climbing stairs. The purpose of this study was to exa mine the effect of an intervention programme on behaviour change in stair u se in a working environment. Methods: Intervention field workers were instructed to offer attractive or pull actions. 338 employees of four offices of the Swiss federal government were involved in the evaluation. Two methods were used to assess stair and lift use tooth before acid after the four month intervention period: a non -covered personal observation and an automatic measurement. Results: Taking all four offices together, a significant increase in stair use, from 61.8% to 67.1% (p = 0.028), was found between the baseline and th e follow-up observation. The automatic measurement during observation time reveals a change in stair use from 68.8% to 71.4% (p = 0.268). The pattern of stair use examined for 24 hours by automatic means, however, was not so consistent. Due to the proportion of stair use in each office it is assumed that environmental factors influences the behaviour. The highest percentag e of stair use at baseline (86.2%) was identified in an office with a brigh t stairwell and a small number of steps between floors. The lowest proporti on (31.4%) was observed in an office with a dark stairwell, a large number of steps between floors and a stairwell accessible only with a key. Conclusions: However, our findings indicate that intervention with "rewardi ng" elements encourage individuals to use stairs.