Prompts to Increase Stair Climbing in Stations; The Effect of Message Complexity.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: While point-of-choice prompts consistently increase stair climbing, experimental comparisons of message content are rare. Here, the effects of two messages differing in complexity about the health outcomes obtainable from stair climbing were compared. METHODS: In a UK train station with two independent platforms exited by identical 39-step staircases and adjacent escalators, observers recorded travellers ascent method and gender 08:00-10:00 on two weekdays during February/March 2008 (n=48,697). Baseline observations (2-weeks) preceded a 3-week poster phase. Two posters (594x841mm) that differed in the complexity of the message were positioned at the point-of-choice between ascent methods, with one placed on each side of the station simultaneously. Logistic regression analysis was conducted in April 2010. RESULTS: Omnibus analysis contained main effects of the intervention (OR=1.07, CI=1.02-1.13, p=0.01) and pedestrian traffic volume (OR=5.42, CI=3.05-9.62,