Health signs by the stairs got slightly fewer people to take the escalator
Who it’s about: Adults
- Helped
With a short health message by the stairs, fewer people took the escalator at all four places.
Large trial, groups not picked at random of 115,062 people at stairs and escalators · vs times with no sign at the same place · behaviour was recorded
- Mixed
Alone, the design did nothing at first, but after the message it cut escalator use at two of three places.
Large trial, groups not picked at random of 115,062 people at stairs and escalators · vs times with no sign at the same place · behaviour was recorded
The study
Who took part
115,062 adults were watched as they chose between stairs and an escalator at four places in Barcelona, Spain, and Leiden, the Netherlands. Children and adults with children were not counted.
What they did
Large signs went up where people chose between stairs and escalator. Some showed only an art design or colours, and some showed the same design with the message 'Take the stairs! 7 minutes of stair climbing a day protects your heart/health'. Each sign stayed up for 2 to 6 weeks, and these times were compared with times when there was no sign.
What happened
With the message, fewer people took the escalator at all four places, though at one place almost everyone still took it. The design on its own did nothing when it was shown before the message. After people had seen it with the message, the design alone cut escalator use a little at two of three places. The third place could not be judged because the message's effect hadn't worn off.
Source
Learnt effects of environmental cues on transport-related walking; disrupting habits with health promotion? (2019)
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220308 (opens in a new tab)Tools in this study
Rule · where5
Put a visible cue where you'll do itA sticker, poster, object or wearable prompt at the point of action.
