Stair versus elevator use in a university residence hall setting

Abstract

Objective

Determine the temporal and spatial characteristics of stairs versus elevator use in a university residence hall to inform future physical activity promotion efforts.

Participants

All residents and visitors for a single, four-story residence hall dormitory building located on a college campus in Orange, CA.

Methods

Smart mat systems capable of detecting pedestrian traffic were placed in front of the stairs and elevators on each floor plus a basement. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMMs) were used to compare stair versus elevator usage at different times of the day and on different floors.

Results

Stair versus elevator use varied much more throughout the day on floors nearest to the ground floor, with stair use most common in the morning. Overall, the elevator was used more frequently on higher floors, with less variation throughout the day.

Conclusion

To be most effective, future stair promotion interventions should target residents on higher floors and in the morning.

Keywords:

• Adaptive interventions
• elevator
• physical activity
• stairs

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States and received approval from the Chapman University Institutional Review Board.

Funding

A Chapman University undergraudate scholarly/creative grant supported this work.