Workplace intervention to promote stair‐use in an NHS setting

Blake, Holly; Lee, Sandra; Stanton, Thomas; Gorely, Trish

Abstract

Purpose – Increasing physical activity (PA) is an international public health priority.
This study aims to assess the impact of an environmental stair-use intervention using “point of decision” prompts with varying messages in an NHS workplace in the UK.
Design/methodology/approach – Observational data were collected using a covert method (infra-red sensors) in an interrupted time-series design over an eight-week period.
Intervention - consisted of posters displaying encouraging messages in the entrance to two stairways of an acute NHS hospital. The hospital site is a public building accessible to patients, staff (n = ~7,000), students and the general public. Questionnaires (n =221) assessed employee self-reports of and attitudes towards stair-use.
Findings – Following 24-hour observational counts (n = 143,514) no statistically significant differences were seen in either stair climbing or descent on either stairway through the introduction and removal of promotional posters. A number of determinants and barriers to stair-use were identified. Posters were reported as “seen” by a low proportion of respondents (7-25 per cent) and only a small number felt encouraged to use the stairs as a result of the prompts (25-37 per cent of those who “saw” them, 3-18 per cent of total sample).
Research limitations/implications – The study evaluates the impact of a stair-use intervention in a public hospital building, a setting within which research investigations have to date been limited. More research is needed to further investigate determinants and barriers to stair-use and the impact of different message types and locations of “point-of-decision” prompts in a hospital setting.
Practical implications – Environmental interventions to increase stair-use in this setting may be best placed within a comprehensive workplace programme including health education and multi-component interventions.
Originality/value – “Point of decision” prompts are inexpensive as a long-term intervention. As part of a large-scale workplace health campaign, encouraging even a small percentage of employees to use the stairs in organisations of this size is of significance to workplace health promoters.

Citation

Blake, H., Lee, S., Stanton, T., & Gorely, T. (2008). Workplace intervention to promote stair‐use in an NHS setting. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 1(3), 162-175. https://doi.org/10.1108/17538350810926525

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 1, 2008
• Online Publication Date: Sep 1, 2008
• Publication Date: Sep 26, 2008
• Deposit Date: Nov 5, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 5, 2018
• Journal: International Journal of Workplace Health Management
• Print ISSN: 1753-8351
• Electronic ISSN: 1753-836X
• Publisher: Emerald
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 162-175
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/17538350810926525
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1223827
• Publisher URL: https://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/17538350810926525
• Additional Information: H. Blake, S. Lee, T. Stanton, T. Gorely, (2008) "Workplace intervention to promote stair‐use in an NHS setting", International Journal of Workplace Health Management, Vol. 1 Issue: 3, pp.162-175, https://doi.org/10.1108/17538350810926525