The effectiveness of contextual cues in encouraging stair use

Stair climbing is an ideal activity to promote in worksites due to its availability and associated health benefits. To date findings are equivocal regarding stair climbing intervention success in this setting, thus more research is needed. Chapter two of this thesis confirmed that a calorific expenditure message can increase stair climbing in a train station. Based on this finding, chapter three implemented a point-of-choice intervention using a longer calorific expenditure message in four buildings and successfully increased stair climbing. The inability to translate intervention success on public access staircases to the worksite setting is likely to be due the random availability of the lift. Consequently, chapter four examined the effect of lift availability on stair use, concluding that reduced lift availability increases stair use. Lift availability can rarely be modified however, so chapter five assessed whether a point-of-choice intervention using an aspirational climb Mt. Everest message can increase stair climbing. Whilst no increase in stair climbing was recorded during this intervention, the same calorific expenditure message as used in chapter three increased stair climbing in the same building. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the effectiveness of point-of-choice prompts using calorific expenditure messages in increasing stair climbing in the worksite setting.