Stairwell: Increasing Activity Among Nursing Students and Faculty

Saturday, 23 February 2019

Constance V. Coelho, SN1
Lukas Scott Smith, BS (Kinesiology)2
Robin M. Mertens, BS1
Dahriel M. Aron, SN3
Mitchell Stern, BA1
Hailey Marie Leach Marquez, SN4
Geng-Wei Lee, SN5
Barbara Bates-Jensen, PhD, RN, FAAN6
Diana N. O'Toole, SN1
(1)School of Nursing, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
(2)School of Nursing, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA
(3)School of Nursing, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
(4)School of Nursing, UCLA School of Nurisng, Los Angeles, CA, USA
(5)School of Nursing, UCLA School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA, USA
(6)School of Nursing, 5-234 Factor Bldg., University of California, School of Nursing and David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Objective: To promote increased activity as measured by stair use frequency among nursing students, faculty and staff using a prospective quasi-experimental pre-post-test design.

Background: The American Nurses Association declared 2017 the Year of the Healthy Nurse and encouraged increased activity because nurses and nursing students have an average Body Mass Index (BMI) of 27.6 indicating overweight, and less than half participate in recommended quantity and time in exercise. Data support aerobic exercise increases cognitive function yet, nursing lectures range from 2-10 hours of sitting a day; staff and faculty spend 6-10 hours sitting at the computer, regular stair climbing burns more calories per minute than jogging. Thus, stair use could improve health and cognition among students, staff, and faculty.

Methods: Data were collected from 6 floors of the school over 12 weeks (baseline 4 weeks; post intervention 8 weeks) using 6 people counter directional (PCD) sensors placed on multiple floors of the two stairwells with data recorded daily by research staff. Intervention included stairwell sanitation, motivational signage, and colorful door wraps. Post intervention data were collected with PCD sensors and an anonymous survey to students, faculty and staff. Data were analyzed with t tests by each day of week and descriptive statistics for survey data.

Results: Mean number of people using stairs up increased from baseline to intervention on Wednesdays and Thursdays; from 53 to 61 people and 54 to 72 people, respectively. Mean number of people using stairs down increased from baseline to intervention on Wednesdays and Thursdays; from 87 to 103 people and 60 to 83 people, respectively. Survey participants (n=133; 19% response rate) were 86% female, 81% students, 13% staff and 6% faculty, with 33% white and age 20-24 years. “Always use” of stairs increased from 29% to 37%, “stair use for exercise” increased from 61% to 78%, 59% agreed intervention increased their stair use and 49% reported using the stairs for multiple floors. Faculty survey respondents did not report increased stair use following intervention.

Conclusion: Nursing staff and student participants reported increased use of stairs as exercise following intervention which reflects the people count data, indicating interventions increased stairwell usage, although this increase was not significant. A cleaner, more inviting stairwell promotes use and thus physical activity among nursing students and staff. Faculty reported no increase in stair use suggesting limited activity levels and room for improvement. Research funded in part by Healthy Campus Initiative, UCLA.

See more of: Rising Stars of Research and Scholarship Invited Student Posters Session 2
See more of: Invited Posters